Cruel World
by Tora-Katana
Summary: REVISED! Made uneasy by troubling omens, Dante forces his way into a far from routine mission. Coming across a shocking discovery, his actions begin the unearthing of scarring dark secrets from the past in need of a present healing light. Darker but smooth, with Dante, Lady, and VergilxOC.
1. Red Moon Rising

_A/N: This is a revision/refresh of the same story I wrote about 2 years ago. I wanted to make it better, so let's hope it worked. I dedicate this chapter to Night Companion who kicked my butt into doing this, plus a lot more - her writing is very much worth checking out! _

_What's left to say now is – enjoy and review! _

CH1 –Red Moon Rising

Moonlight bravely determined to filter through the dusty, un-curtained windows briefly triumphed as it wanly touched wooden walls and slowly crept across wooden floors in an attempt to illuminate a curious room. Only it shied away before reaching the deeper corners as whispers of undisturbed coldness brushed against its feeble light.

Looking like a place of business, there was evidence the room also served as a residence based on the personalized pleasant pastime offerings. A pool table, various musical instruments, an outdated jukebox, a large antique desk with an accompanying chair, a side corner occupied by an overused couch, table and small television set, all of which would conventionally invite others in, did not. Collectively, these things voiced a silent complaint they were not for anyone's use without permission of the owner, this being in itself a rare occurrence. Quite a confusing contradiction of leisure and reluctant welcome.

Strangely, a melancholy nostalgia varnished the stark walls where no personal pictures or homey decorations graced them. Instead, barely discerned insidious whispers were hidden within those walls that no false security of burning lights could combat. Not only whispers of a past that should be left untouched, these chilling words could ensnare the mind, freeze the heart and sear the soul with tragic sorrows and unspeakable horrors. Compelling terrible murmurs promised things, hideous, cruel, merciless things, prowled the night.

The innocent learned to stay away, and those with sinister intent? They were not usually seen again.

If he knew, the owner of _Devil May Cry _would laugh and suggest reading the outside neon red sign above the door. It wasn't his fault if the foolhardy did not heed its message or believe in him for he was as contrary as his humble dwelling. He would say the old building fit him like a pair of broken in leather gloves. Disliking intrusions on his solitude, he would be flattered he had achieved the right atmosphere in encouraging chattering, annoying people to vacate the premise with due haste.

This was his place, his things, to do with as he pleased. Fiercely protective of his privacy, he would keep his secrets to himself as he occasionally gave into the nostalgia behind locked doors while mostly living in the present. There was no thought of the future because in his business, his first breath may be his last. As for the whispers, they were old friends keeping him company and on track, reminding him who he was, the actions he chose to take and the reasons why. They were also the past that he kept alive, a past he could not escape from, no matter how much he tried, especially during times like this when unsettling warnings rode the air.

It was in these times, even the boldest or most curious would flee in instinctual self-preservation from the ominous shadows dancing within the room. Because this particular black night created an unusually weighty silence that filled the premises with an eerie disquiet saturating the darkness even the foreboding moon, try as it might, could not combat.

Much like the weary moonlight, when Dante stepped inside he averted his eyes away from the murky darkness, and declined listening to the hissing within the walls, refusing to let his mind sink into their entrapping lure. Shrugging off the heavy coat drenched in the events of an unusually busy night, he strode quickly toward the back door. He then flicked on a light switch, allowing the brightness of the bathroom flood his disturbed soul.

Very fortunately for him, he found solace in liking his work. Although rarely feeling dread and unafraid of terrors that would drive most mortals mad, Dante could not shake the chill as he cranked up the hot water. Gleaming white tile reflected his white hair, made silver by the shower as he vigorously scrubbed shampoo against his scalp. Never a good sign, he thought the air felt heavier than usual, carrying a message announcing strange forces were at large with big plans in the works. And big plans equaled big trouble.

Palms pressing hard against the wet tiled wall, Dante let his eyes slip closed, water dripping down from his long white lashes. Unsure why, his unease grew as flashes of his lost brother were spotting the red canvas behind his closed lids. Shaking out his hair so drops flew before subconsciously slicking them back, he lifted his face into the flow of water. Trusting his instincts, he detested he couldn't put his finger on precisely what the raised red flags in his gut were signaling and what Vergil's distressing visage heralded.

Deciding not to let his ominous suspicions drag him too deep down into his subconscious, Dante opened his eyes again. Allowing the hot balm to cascade down his body to sooth the slight ache in muscles like slick stones in a stream, he pondered aloud, "What do I do after I get off this shit, gore, erm...sticky stuff, goo, smelly entrails, and whatever this is?" Rubbing a mysterious blotch on his hip, he wondered why it wasn't coming off, "Right. A bruise. Well then. I think this calls for a reward to ease my suffering."

After more vigorous scrubbing he was sure was taking off his skin, he was pleased to see the brownish, greenish... and was that purple?... gunk in the suds circling the drain, indicating the tenacious slime was finally washing off him.

Even for Dante, as battle scarred, experienced and skilled as he was, he found the stuff kinda gross. _No. Make that straight out gross._ There was no "kinda" about the new demons he was coming across.

Usually avoiding stinky demon innards was not so difficult, but for the last several days there had been so many, he could not avoid getting splattered by whatever these demons carried inside them. Which, much to his revulsion, was a surprising lot he could do without. He would have thought they'd be the usual stitched up sacs of rancid mashed potatoes, or beef jerky; winner's choice. But nooo, these things had to be rotting from the inside out with something like thick pus from an oozing sore.

Even for him, after what seemed like endless years of slaying, this was really too much. These new guys, whatever they were, were starting to piss him off. He seemed to have gotten in a habit lately of encountering the most disgusting ones Hell could choke out. Knowing he was being ludicrous, if he had to place the blame on someone, he knew who he would blame. Lady. She had an uncanny knack for dragging him into the worst jobs promising the most mess, the least cash, while leaving him with all the nasty leftovers. Did she drag in these incredible creatures from Hell just for him? He wouldn't be the least surprised to discover she did.

Ah, sweet Lady. Yeah, in his dreams. He wished. Fearless, she made it perfectly clear though they were friends, which made Dante cringe to think what she did to her enemies, no demon was worthy of her consideration. Except for Trish.

_Trish._ Now there was an altogether different devil to contend with, and he blamed Lady for that one too. Realizing the distraction of Lady was actually serving a rare purpose by getting his mind off darker, even more painful thoughts, Dante eagerly grabbed the chance to go with the grating flow. He wondered if she'd had anything to do with Trish taking off again without a bye-you-leave, nor note saying where she was going and when, or if, she would be back.

Then again, he glumly figured with his rotten luck with women he might have been the main reason for her departure leaving a gap for the greedy wrenching shadows to seep into his brain since her presence went far in keeping them away. Either way, Lady hadn't wanted or asked him to come along when Trish had evidently called her for a trip to meet up with her wherever she was.

Remembering, Dante grit his teeth in ire as she had blithely announced "Girls only. Off on a short business trip" in passing with a dismissive flick of her short, stylish raven hair. The worst part, as irony seemed a recurring theme throughout his life, was he shot himself in the foot by personally introducing them. To top it off, what does a demon wanting to be more humane added to a human wanting to be more demonic equal? Trouble. Damn. Trying not to care, he secretly wished he could have gone along to keep them in check while having some fun on the side. But Lady, and he would throw in Trish for good measure, hadn't even give him the opportunity.

Despite the danger of his thoughts straying too far into the dark while an uneasy restlessness idled in his thoughts, Dante spaced out as the hot water kept rushing down his toned body. It was bad for him to be alone for too long in this state, a dangerous little place. Without the luxury of having someone's opinion on whether he was right to be a little uptight, it was so quiet at _Devil May Cry_ without Trish, he simply needed to get out, to mingle, to do whatever.

That's where another mixed blessing in occupying and calming his mind came into play. The demons. There were suddenly too many, large groups of them, as if they were congregating or something. He hadn't heard of any demon conventions being in town, but maybe that was it. Coming from different unheard of places would help to explain the explosion of all the new breeds.

But the best thing about it? Lady was out of town, which meant… He might not have kept the girls in check but he would be _getting_ a big check. Just like today. All for himself! And he could pick and choose the jobs he wanted, like the best rides at a funfair. Without being swindled or tricked for once, the fun shall continue. Tonight!

A few moments passed and Dante straightened himself up, picking up a small rubber devil that sat grumpily on a floating lava stone on the rim of the bathtub. Slicked-back hair, now dirty white from the hot water that abused it covered a loose head above a blue coat, faded but much cleaner. It now stood on a large hand, looking at a face much like its own, only much more alive and detailed.

"So dude, where should I go first? Get a beer? A pizza? Get some demon meat? Yeah, I'd start with the bar - a good place for demons. And for getting a beer, at least one would hope," Dante grumbled, staring at the little devil for an answer. A stony face gave him a return stare.

A smirk crossing his face, he brought the rubber figure under the stream of water. Pummeled by the onslaught of the running shower, the loose head started to nod like crazy.

"What was that?" Dante put a hand to his ear as if he had misheard. "I should get a strawberry sundae? No? A tomato chaser, a pizza and then a beer?" The figurine nodded again happily without being happy. "You are bloody useless, aren't you? And you forgot about the demons, didn't you? You know, demons?" Another nod came in response. "Yeah, I thought so."

Shutting his eyes to let his imagination run wild, Dante caught the droplets of water that had by now turned cold with his tongue, picturing drinking a chilled beer, a tomato flavor. "Mmmm, a beer pizza. And Lady is buying."

His blue orbs shot open, and with that encouraging thought still embedded deep in his mind, he quickly turned the bitterly cold shower off. Then, placing the little Vergil back onto his rightful stone-cold place, Dante paused, staring in thought at the rubber devil in blue. "You didn't cause all this, did you?" He asked hesitantly, one eye narrowing as he peered at the lookalike of his long dead brother. A wild nod came in return, the last droplets of bubbles sliding down the tarnished white rubber. Shaking the absurdity out of his head, and with it all the excess water from his hair, Dante jumped out of the bath.

Absently brooding, Dante quickly yanked his red leather trousers onto his long legs, forgetting that he was still all wet. His knees becoming imprisoned in the tightening leather, he toppled down like a fallen tree. Cursing the women and atmospheric conditions making his nerves taut for this lameass mishap, with lightning swiftness his hands shot forth to find his face an inch from smacking the floor. Mortified, he figured although the physical pain would have been brief, his ego and trousers would not recover so easily. Flipping over with trepidation, his gimlet stare landed on the stuck on leather, and the long tear along both knees. _Damn all hells to the worst one of them all._ They were his favorite pair!

Now he really needed to take his frustration out on something. Bless demons yet again for being such an obvious choice. The new bar couldn't have opened at a better time, luring in a lot of his potential clientele now that so many demons needed somewhere to hide.

Garbed in his second favorite hunting gear, with Ebony and Ivory stashed in a hiding nest under his requisite red trench coat, Dante slipped out into the dark streets. Senses discreetly probing the night, he strode straight to his destination.

Giving the bouncer a calm, casual nod, he stepped inside the Blue Star, wincing at the abrupt switch from the tranquility of the empty dark street to the loud noise and bright lights inside. It slammed into him like a bullet, the resulting stab of pain making him grimace. Regardless, Dante quickly adjusted as his eyes morphed to demonic vision, instantly scouting out the place.

The bar brimmed over with people occupying most tables, the dance floor hardly visible beneath the heaving, swaying mass of sweating skin and skimpy clothes. Dante paused at the door, slowly taking in the wildly moving crowd, inhaling the expanding tendrils of invisible demonic currents wafting through the air. He could spot them straight away, feel them out like electric eels in the sea of people.

So much for taking his frustrations out on demon slaying. All of the ones he was picking up meant no harm, wanting a night on the town like anyone else, although with a hidden, open secret. Sort of like him. Feeling a kind of kinship, he could admit to getting a kick out of the idea of clueless humans dancing with the devils. HA. Dancing with the Devil. Good one, and one that fit him to a "T".

Holding in the chuckle at his own joke, carefully, Dante began to wade through the pulsing wave of scarcely clothed bodies generating so much heat, he could kill for a frosty beer under the melting lights. Thinking of his brilliant concoction of tomato-flavored beer, doubting he could find any, he wondered if he could get lucky enough to find a tomato juice chaser as a second choice.

Reaching the long curved bar, Dante sat down on a stool and spun round, gazing back at the stage full of people twisting in the most primitive and inhumanly ways. How close it was to the truth.

"What can I get you darling? The usual?" a cheery female voice stole his attention, causing him to quickly whip his head towards its owner.

"And how would you know what my usual is, lady?" he asked cockily, his deep blues fixing on the dark orbs of a Latina woman.

Recognizing the long black hair and narrow figure, Dante changed his grin to genuine pleasure as he slapped his palm on the counter jovially, all demon and human politics temporarily forgotten. "Ha! Alena? What is your lovely self doing here?"

"I moved from the Love Planet as soon as I heard this place was looking. I found that joint too wicked in its ways for my taste."

_If she only knew_, Dante gave her an understanding look, tilting his head.

"And I didn't like the clientele there either," Alena was happy to announce. "Apart from you of course my darling, you were different," she quickly added, sending him an assuring wink.

_You have no idea_, Dante tilted his white head the other way, features slipping into amusement.

"So, there is nothing bad here?" Dante pouted his lower lip slightly, pretending to look disappointed. "Hey, no hard feelings if I still pop back there now and then?" he gave her his foolproof puppy eyes just for fun_._ He had no desire to go back, apart from checking on any new demonic clientele naturally.

"Not if you still show your face here, _now and then_," the woman laughed while filling up a clean glass with the amber liquid.

"Deal," he was happy to oblige, mouth widening into an impeccable smile that normally got him a free drink. He still had to watch the bills, somehow always getting more of those than the lucrative ones he found in his pocket. Even though he had a lot more coming in right now, nothing could replace the great feeling of getting something for free!

"Well in that case, enjoy your first time here; this one is on the house." She placed a sparkling pint in front of his mischievously flickering eyes. They never failed. Only they never got him what he truly wanted, like a tomato chaser. Damn.

"Now I am definitely coming back, Alena!" He picked up the beer and emptied it almost instantly. Alena waltzed away to serve other customers and Dante, now content, clutching the rest of his favorite free poison in his hand, ran his eyes across the length of the bar.

The things he could afford right now spread themselves in front of his picky pallet like an all you can drink buffet. Aged liquors, fruit flavored cocktails, expensive imported beers, the things that begged money to be wasted on. His lip curled into a smirk of evil satisfaction.

Disappointingly though, most of the stock appeared to be too uninteresting, the same old spread that could be found in these kinds of establishments, and they sparked close to none excitement. Too bad. Seriously. Where were the strawberry sundaes? And the pizza flavored beers? Well he sure wasn't ashamed to have different tastes but it did have its downsides – like the lack of money spending opportunities.

Nonetheless, drumming his hands on the counter matching the beat of the blasting music, Dante was glad he had come. His earlier gloomy mood forgotten, he was sure he could come up with a plan to use or lose the cash he earned all by himself, on himself, for himself, without his sneaky female cohorts scenting out his fresh money like bloodhounds. It was not his fault if they decided to take off to parts unknown. Their actions that basically told him they thought his company was no loss to them was his gain.

Devilish smirk widening, he would enjoy whatever he could here before heading out to end his evening on a high note of demon slaying. Cheerily he thought since he missed his dessert, now all he needed was something to appease his appetite by finding a sweet treat to keep him company, passing the time to make his lucky streak delightfully complete.

As he scoured the place for something that would catch his eye, he finally spotted what he was looking for in the form of something quite different than he expected. A young woman sat alone right at the other end of the outwardly curved bar, long golden hair spilling down to bounce and curl on her shoulders, as she slouched, stirring a drink with a short black straw.

The lights from the bar touched and curved around the woman's beautiful face, silhouettes of expensive bottles reflecting in the most intense very peculiar green of her eyes. Her face wasn't where his attention stopped though as his appraising eyes slid down her gentle feminine features that appeared somewhat drawn around the edges. Past the narrowing waist, his gaze slowed down on something her hand was clutching underneath the bar.

Dante quickly waved at Alena, pointing to his empty glass. The lady-bartender scooted over with a fond smile and instantly started to top up his drink.

"Hey, Al," he nudged towards the quiet blonde. "Do you know who she is?"

The female bartender flipped her straight raven hair back and looked in the said direction. She needn't ask whom he meant. "No, she started coming here only a few weeks ago, I think. Always sits at the same place, at the same time, and orders the same thing; a freshly squeezed orange juice. She never talks to anybody," Alena said casually while topping up Dante's pint to the rim and placing it skillfully in front of him without spilling a drop. When he nodded, she spun on her heels and took off again.

_Never talks to anybody eh? Somehow I have a hunch you'll talk to me honey._ He pushed back his seat, gaining a better view of her legs. His avid gaze grazed on their heavenly length, bound in skin fitting black leather, held on her curved out hips by a silver dragon belt; a belt right below a bare, velvety smooth flat sun brushed stomach.

Spontaneously, he licked the cold droplet of dew sliding down the glass in his hand, willing himself to tear his eyes from her man trapping knee high black boots, swaying in the air with their thick heels like a mesmerizing pendant. _Look at her package for God's sake. Not that one. The other one!_

Reining back his basic male drive to make room for his advanced demon senses, Dante's narrowing eyes fell upon the little black case she so tightly held. It would never escape him - the distinct heads of two swords sticking out like hidden cobras from a basket, sending a bite of pain into his normally strong guts. Katanas... _You've just gained my attention little butterfly, the kind that many grow to dread._

Dante was not aware of any other devil hunters in the vicinity and intrigued as to why someone would bother packing two swords in a bar, unless they were either trying to forget a bad performance in a martial arts class, or their intention was to kill something or someone. Moreover, she only had an orange juice, which had him leaning towards the latter.

Dismissing the idea to go over and introduce himself, Dante opted to stay put and play the observer, keen to avoid an incident in a busy place. These things begged for privacy, finding out if she was a threat and to whom.

If she was some criminal about to draw too much attention, or worse, another demon hunter wannabe, she wasn't good for business. Darn humans, always causing the most trouble, and she was definitely human, and most likely trouble.

Patience paying off, the blonde finally finished her drink and pulled on her jacket that was thrown over the backrest of her chair. Zipping up the cover of the long bag, she stood up and slung it over her shoulder, weaving her way out of the bar like a ghost.

Dante quickly gulped down the rest of his beer, left more money than needed for the free drink, and left the club without anyone taking notice of his discreet but hasty departure.

The streets had turned ruthlessly dark, lamps nearly forgotten in this rundown part of town. Only the fuzzy full moon and a few flickering neon signs struggled to illuminate the foggy night. Silence crept into the misty alleys and mildew eaten walls the further he moved from the pounding music of the nightclub, gliding to the faint echo of leather heels somewhere ahead.

Thinking about it, her ability to move so well through the night only proved her weapons were quite real. No one with mere replicas would move like that, slinking through the shadows like a cat on a hunt. Besides, his hunches were never wrong. She was out for a kill, and he was there to see what exactly she would be killing.

She was walking in a leisurely but fast pace through the back alleys keeping close to the shading walls. To gain an easier viewpoint, Dante jumped onto the balcony of a nearby house and from there on top of the roof. It would be easier to keep up with her unnoticed from there. Hidden overhead, he followed the young woman as she headed towards a vast green speckled with hundred year old trees right outside his district.

Dante squatted down on the last rooftop overlooking the park, watching the stranger sit down on a bench not too far from the entrance. He made himself comfortable on the slightly sloping slated surface, closing his eyes. Taking advantage of a momentary parting of the clouds, he tilted his face towards the briefly bright, haze free moon as if sunbathing in its clear, steady light. From his spot, he had a perfect view of the whole area where she was sitting through the trees and across fallen leaves, despite the ever so slowly creeping mist snaking over the grass.

After about ten minutes of nothing happening without even a bird disturbing the still quiet, becoming progressively bored, his fingers tapping impatiently, Dante let out a disappointed growl. Maybe she wasn't up to anything at all. Then, as he started to get up, something made him tense, an electrifying vibration rushing through the chilly air. A familiar unpleasant tingling spread through his body, making him slowly turn towards the woodland.

His focused eyes caught the reflection of a small blood-red light crackling to existence in the air, a mere few meters from the girl. _What the fuck?_ His brows furrowed.

The tiny light grew into a spinning saucer, then flashed and expanded into a bone-fide portal, all the while the girl sat slouched on the bench, looking away, seemingly unaware. His hand reached under his coat for his guns as he went on high alert. About to make his move, the woman stood up suddenly, one of the sheathed swords lightly swaying in her hand. She approached the brightly glowing vortex with a saunter, an eerie red shadow cast on her serious, tight-lipped, determined expression.

Then the time slowed down right in front of him, his demon coming forth to observe with feline senses every little move, feel every smell, hear every rustle. _What are you going to do…_

The spinning light did not seem to faze the woman as it continued to expand, forming a circle two meters in diameter. In that instant the blonde suddenly unsheathed her katana. Faint, distant hiss of metal first piercing his heightened perception, he knew the second the sword was freed to perform.

The sharp blade sailed through the air with a whistle, swinging upwards in one fluid movement, cutting right through a demon that stepped out with grim purpose from the hellish light. The falling body, limp in its dying moment, smashed into the portal, causing it to jerk violently to the side. Like an explosion triggered avalanche, the remaining demons poured out, piling onto the ground. Slashing through the hell prides falling from the portal, she nimbly side-stepped their wildly thrashing limbs.

Dante suppressed a hearty laugh from atop the nearby roof. It looked like the lady didn't need to be told how to get down to business._ This I have to see. Even if it means not joining the party, for now._

As the portal flickered out of existence, the woman's face fell into darkness, the moon casting her enlarged shadow onto the creatures of hell lying beneath her. Eyes closing, she re-sheathed the long sword and waited for the bundle of death to slowly untangle. Stumbling to their limbs of all shapes and sizes, they encircled her faster than one would give them credit for. Crooked scythes raised in readiness to strike, she took a long deep breath, as if still waiting for them to move.

_Come on girl, get a move on. _

As if his thoughts passed through her, her eyes snapped open as if brought to life and the katana rushed out of its sheath in a wide arc, slicing three of the monsters in half. Blood gushed out in sync with the dance of the slender sword, the demonic foes feeling their bones intact, unshattered, not knowing they were cut cleanly like butter. The instruments of deadly harm the ranks of evil held so tightly, now sliced off with their arms, clattered harmlessly to the ground. The demons' bodies exploded into scarlet dust, one after another, as she made a turn and came to a rest with the sword raised above her head, hair wild and falling into her face.

Dante left his inclination to butt in behind as he could not tear himself from her movements. They reminded him of someone he had known. So much so, he almost froze in a past he didn't want to venture into again. The deadly sword, the grace, the detached elegance… Forcefully shaking off the settling haze from his eyes, Dante resumed watching the gruesome spectacle.

As the woman finished another turn, the momentum pushed her sword into the jugulars of two more demons, near slicing off the heads. Instantly she swooped down, narrowly avoiding decapitation herself, and extending her leg she spun tripping up several hell's minions to her right. The katana plunged backwards into the heart of the nearest one falling down, causing it to collapse into a pile of dust just like the others already slain.

A well aimed back flip got her out of the now crowded circle, and she made a dash for the remaining five, slashing her blade left and right like a steel whip, breaking bones and scythes alike. When she emerged from the cloud of red mist and dust, composed but catching her breath, the katana held outstretched behind her back, no demons were left standing.

"I just _loooove_ chicks who can handle long weapons." Her body whipped quickly, together with her blade, to face the source of the smug comment. Those demons didn't talk.

"Whoa babe, I was simply admiring the view," Dante protested defensively as he threw his hands recklessly into the air. Squinting intensely at the cold tip of the katana pointed at his throat, he reminded himself that women with sharp weapons needed to be handled delicately.

"First, don't call me babe and second, who are you and why are you here?" the woman blurted out in one breath, intently studying the man suspiciously that loomed over her, keeping the sword right where it was. He was big, but did not look like a demon to her, though there was just something strange about him that she couldn't put her finger on. _Maybe he had something to hide under that large red coat of his,_ she surmised. _Only perverts or killers come out at night to a place like this!_

"Me? I am merely a guy who thought to himself, isn't it a lovely night for a walk," he walked his two fingers down the blunt side of her blade, "and, maybe I would get lucky?" He stopped his hand with a wide grin on his face adding to the already doubtful authenticity of his statement.

Not surprisingly, the woman didn't buy his innocent act. A strangled curse left him as the tip of her sword flinched disturbingly closer to his throat.

"Oh really? It's a bitter and murky night and the only thing you might get _lucky_ with in a place like this is getting mugged or _killed_," she retorted, putting emphasis on the last word, nearly spitting it out.

Her strong reaction though wasn't quite what Dante had expected. She was not concerned about her but _him_? And who would do the killing exactly?

Visibly amused, Dante pointed out in a light tone, "The only one doing the killing here is you sweetheart, so are you going to point that thing at me all night, or are you going to chill already?" He widened his smile, leaning down to her and into the blade, making the woman think that he was a complete nutcase. _Take that, mad cat_, he slightly gloated.

"Then answer my question, truthfully, and I will think about it," she insisted uncertainly, eyes flickering with alarm. He had seen everything? If so, did he not comprehend it wasn't safe around here? _Around me?_

Then a realization hit her as she narrowed her eyes frustratingly at him. "Did you….follow me?"

"What if I did?" he lifted his eyes towards the hazy dark sky, his voice losing its playful edge. A soft veil of clouds shrouded the moon, a sickly coating of reddish tinge floating on the edges, ever since the darn demons came pouring in from nowhere… Bad, bad sign. Well, at least she wasn't turning into a werewolf. That was another option he hadn't even considered.

"And why would you do that?" she asked with a hint of anger, placing her free hand on her hip, sizing him up with exasperated interest. Did he want to jump her in the park? _He wouldn't even know what hit him,_ she smirked inwardly. Although, he didn't seem that desperate; someone as handsome and boldly dressed as he was had no need to stalk women. So what was he following her for, the fool? A searing dread entered her stomach at the unnerving thought, _Did he…find her attractive?_

"Well, it's not often you see a chick with these kind of instruments prowling around at night. So I thought I would check it out and see how you were going to use them," Dante crossed his arms on his tight chest and drew his face into a more serious concerned expression. Fun aside, it was time for business.

_A chick?_ _Is this fun to him?_ The woman stared at him for what seemed like an eternity. What _was_ he? The last boy scout? Some kind of a neighborhood watch goody good guy who took his job way too seriously? Did those still exist? Or a bored superhero expecting a damsel in distress? That outfit he wore would sure fit that one.

Somewhat confused, still not trusting him, but given that her hand started throbbing close to numbness, she slowly lowered the long sword, and with a vertical twirl returned it to its scabbard in one silky move.

_Oh jeez, get those ridiculous moves out of my face! _Dante winced inwardly, but hid it instantly. His eyes made a roll though, without his notice. Fortunately, she failed to notice too.

"And? Are you satisfied?" she asked, this time using a strong sarcastic tone.

Of course, the women he met never needed any help! Story of his life.

"Sure, you nailed those," ignoring her misplaced yet understandable mistrust, together with her tantalizingly heaving bosoms, Dante hesitated for a second but then continued, "demons pretty well." He was quite certain she knew what they were, surmising she knew that he knew. He only needed to let her keep guessing who he was, until he could be certain who she was. _Damn, did that make sense?_

"So you know demons," she somewhat questioned, sounding surprised but also relieved, just what he had hoped for. Now things should be a lot easier. So he thought.

"I might have seen one or two." Dante walked towards the spot where the portal had materialized only ten minutes ago, and extended his hand out. His skin tingled as the feel of the dark residual energy glided through him, yet to the human eye it appeared like he was expecting to touch something material, instead finding empty air.

"What I haven't seen before is demons getting an invitation to pop around just like that. To see someone who seemed to be in fact expecting them. So, what's the deal here?" He turned back to face her, blue eyes hardened to a near dark amethyst with a brief flash of hostility.

He tried to contain himself, but for a single moment, a moment enough for him to shudder, his entire soul dipped into icy darkness fed by the recent visions of his deceased brother, before surfacing again into the present. He hated these trips to the past but at the same time he was grateful they reminded him of what he needed to do, of what he had to be most wary of. Gateways to hell and those controlling them. The absolute direness revolving around these hellish contraptions. Evil spelt the name portal, sewing it in blood like a spellbound seamstress onto a cloth of doom.

"And why should I tell you anything? I don't know you. I don't even know your name." She started to walk back to the bench where her sword case lay on the ground.

"Aah, yes, forgive me, but I don't have the habit of giving my name on a first date. Since it usually outlives its usefulness," he teased with his trademark grin. Trying a different tactic to get the conversation going, Dante wanted answers. After all, she did look like she was about to run, run away from confrontation, or perhaps run away from the possibility of someone else dying. Too bad he picked the wrong approach, again, for he seemed to have gotten lost in translation as her reaction was less than receptive.

"Oh, forget it. I don't even know why I am still talking to you anyway." She picked up the leather bag irritably, and flung it over her shoulder.

_Touchy are we._ "Ok, Ok," he threw his arms out in a gesture of defeat. Maybe with her, he had to get smarter. She was as difficult as a hard nut to crack. He had to give something. "It's Dante, at your service," he bowed, his features relaxing into a pleasant, friendly cast.

"I sure hope not." _I have to be alone._ "I prefer to be alone," she said emphatically.

_Strangely not surprising. But you wait._ "So what's your name?" ignoring her impatient coldness, the hunter in red tilted his head the way he knew enticed an ice meltdown, and showed her his best redeeming smile as she started to walk past him, obviously intending to leave the park, and him, behind. _Ah crap. _

But she turned, to his surprise. "If I tell you, are you going to stop bothering me?" she asked tiredly, almost with routine rudeness as her eyes locked directly with his. She only now noted that they were the most beautiful and unusual shade of blue. Like a crisp iceberg in brightly shining sunlight. _The more reason to never see him again_, she thought grimly. _It would be a real shame to see the bright life in those eyes flicker to nothing._

"Sure babe, whatever fills your," he paused to double-check her feet, "big boots. I am not accustomed to women begging me to leave them alone. Quite the opposite actually," Dante pouted and lifted his right hand to his heart to emphasize his pretend hurt. His smile was barely lingering though. This wasn't going how he wanted, no matter what he tried. He might even need to throw a plan together, but that was getting way too far ahead of himself.

Not believing how cocky this man was, she gazed at him open mouthed. What was wrong with him? He had seen the demons. He had said it himself, and he was still acting like they were never there or no big deal? How dead did he want to be before he got the message? Diced and sliced? If she told him her name, would he stop following her already and leave?

She let out a frustrated sigh, what he perceived as a first sign of progress. "Rain. My name is Rain."

"Rain? Like from up there?" Dante burst out as he looked up, letting out a hearty laugh. "That's sweet! It should have been you falling from the sky!" It came out before he could stop it. Not quite up to speed with his early adventures and not wanting to know either seeing that he wasn't taking her seriously, Rain dismissed him by a shake of her head, turned on her heels, and in a brisk walk made for the park exit.

Dante yelled after her, regretting his lack of planning, together with his freely jabbering mouth. "Oh come on! I was just kidding! It's a great name!"

She didn't stop this time. Dante watched her disappear in the streets on the north side of the park, then trotted off, back towards the row of houses lining the south side, his red coat flapping quietly behind.

Dante knew this was not the last time their paths would cross. His hunches never let him down. He was going to find out what was going on with those strange portals and whether they were just an accident or not. It was however very obvious to him that Rain, if that really was her name, was no novice when it came to demons and she was more than capable of facing them. Quite attractively efficiently too. She was also definitely human, or at least he could not detect any demonic aura around her.

He didn't worry, thinking he merely had to allow her some space. Women needed space to loosen up around men. She would start talking alright, they always did. He simply needed them to realize that they needed _his_ help.

Well, there was no point dwelling on too much now. At least she had not shot him on site or, rather, tried to skewer him with her katana. _In the guts…oh, the sweet memories..._Dante mused absentmindedly running his hand over his rumbling stomach._ Actually that made me feel hungry! I better make a pit stop on the way back. I almost forgot all about that._

His face hardened as he deliberated his next move. Planning was not his forte, but scheming was an entirely different kind of fish. Eyes lighting up, he remembered the increasing numbers of demons around the place, which may have been a coincidence, but they were here nonetheless. Judging from tonight, she would be back, and no human could handle biting more than they could chew, not when it came to big mouthfuls of demons. That was Dante's privilege. That is when she would learn that a little help now and then didn't hurt.

Counting on the shaky plan forming in his head, Dante decided to head home, abandoning the idea of a patrol. The more demons that were kept alive till tomorrow the better. She should be able to handle enough of them to just tire her out enough before he got there, just in time of course, to save her. All women loved to be saved, even Lady despite her perpetual denial. Every plan however first required a long, good night sleep and he as hell was going to get it.

The next day Dante slept till the afternoon; the sounds of the ringing phone well drowned in his deaf ears. The demons may have been bringing in the money, but nothing was worth getting up for early. Besides, he needed them all to push a certain damsel into at least a moderate distress.

Peeling off the bed as a pesky human need made him use the bathroom, Dante thought how quiet it was in the house. Even the whispers stayed still as if afraid of something larger about to come. Well, it wouldn't be long until his peace was interrupted again, by demonic nuisance or Lady, whichever was worse! And it wasn't as if Trish was coming home anytime soon, no matter how much he'd rather see her than Lady. So he might as well take it easy, and enjoy the calm before the storm.

Several pizzas, fifteen unanswered calls, two magazines, and five hours of TV later, it was time to head back out, seeing as the darkness coated the cold window panes, announcing the time of the prowls. It would be prudent to end this, whatever it was, before it escalated too far. Alarms of Vergil's recent visions still ringing loud in his mind, he didn't need another hell breaking loose, having had plenty of that to forget already.


	2. Black Coffee

A/N: Right then. First of all thank so much to all of you who reviewed and gave me a very valuable opinion on rewriting this story. Although you also put me into a dilemma as many of you wanted me to post back the original but others also wanted me to keep going. So I have come up with some middle solution.

I will still go through the update to only better my writing but I promise that in the majority the story will remain the same as the original with the focus very much on Vergil! As I don't think I have much in me right now for a brand new story, doing this will perhaps give me some new ideas and even spark up a sequel, who knows. The only thing I will change slightly is the involvement between Dante and Lady, although they will not have a love relationship at the beginning, I might get them to grow a lot closer as a result of what happens with Vergil and Rain – sounds OK?

Well either way, if you still don't like it after a few more chapters, I can post back the original right? In the meantime, I hope you will enjoy, and I will try to get them out a bit faster from now on. Yours, Tora.

**CH2 – Black Coffee**

Dante slipped into his sturdy coat and stepped outside, into the unexpectedly heavy air. It slapped him so hard, like a stinking smack from hell, and an instant fearful regret flashed through his mind. What if he had been wrong and had condemned that girl with his own assured arrogance? He didn't know anything about her and yet he had assumed too much. Like keeping the demons free to organize a party and mingle at will so that he could play the charming knight in red armour? Who's fucking idea was this in the first place?

In a wild rush, while cursing his self approved idiocy, Dante made for the green, hoping she might be there. Despite the ominous stench of the demon world reeking in his sensitive nose, the evening air was a lot clearer than the day before and the full moon shone brightly in the star dotted sky. _Yeah, just a pretty night for a great trouble._

Storming past the Blue Star, he came to a halt and turned around, thinking it might be a good idea to check there first. Hadn't Alena said the blonde came there every night? Entering the bar, not even bothering to try and blend in, Dante headed through the lit up crowds straight for the female bartender as he spotted her from the door.

"Hey Al, over here!" he yelled over the noise, hopping up to be seen.

"Aah, I did not dream you would come back so soon darling," her voice chimed as she walked speedily to meet Dante, carrying a tray of dewy cold beers.

"Yeah, my dreams never work out either," Dante said swiftly, quickly moving on, "I am looking for the blonde who was here last night?"

"Who? Oh sure. I know who you mean. You were checking her out yesterday," she winked at him with an all too well understanding smile, herding the glasses to the centre of the tray with her free hand.

Discreetly rolling his eyes, he answered, "Yeah, right, you know me too well Al." _As if._

"Of course I do. You are a man, aren't you?" Alena noted happily, excited that she was right all along, the prospect of a blooming juicy gossip swirling in her eyes.

_Wrong again._ "Nice of you to notice," Dante gave her a patient smile, "But have you noticed the woman?" He hurried to add, looking around inconspicuously. At least no one else paid them any attention, he noted in relief.

"Oh yeah, the girl. She was here earlier but left in a hurry only a few minutes ago. Poor thing, she looked quite distressed. I honestly hate these sleazebags that don't know how to treat a woman properly," the female bartender divulged with a genuine scowl.

"Huh? What do you mean?" His face showed curiosity, his hurry put on temporary hold. The more he could find out about the blonde, the better.

Almost tangibly pleased that he had asked, Alena did not hesitate to elaborate. "Well, she was sitting at the bar, same as yesterday, drinking her drink, when this punk, obviously drunk, approached her from behind."

She leaned closer to Dante with growing excitement and glowing face of a keen storyteller, "I watched as he slid his hands on her, then looks back at his buddies all slimy like she was to be his there and then. The poor soul completely froze and I was about to call for help. But then, the punk screamed, her hand having his wrist in a darn painful twist. Before I could blink she was off her chair, her palm deep in his solar plexus and then he was on the floor sweeping a few others and chairs with him." The dark haired woman paused, shaking her head, the beers in her hand clinking. "I have never seen anything like it."

"And then?" Dante asked, remembering once again not to try and throw any surprises at the blonde, which didn't mix with his strategy for that night. He readjusted his face to sport Vergil style indifference, not being able to quite hold it to stop himself from laughing.

"Not much. The guy could barely breathe, his oversized buddies taking a while to digest what happened or the food or something before they finally rushed in to help him. But she already grabbed her things and took off." Noticing the impatient patron whose beers were held hostage by her heated storytelling waving at her, she yelled back dismissively, "Can't you see I'm busy over here?"

Just before she departed in the thirsty customer's direction, Alena quickly mentioned to the demon hunter in red. "You might still be able to catch up with her, if you hurry."

_Hurry, yeah, just what I had in mind._ Remembering the outside stink of demons, Dante thanked her and rapidly vacated the night club. He wasn't really sure how he was going to find the girl, but the park seemed like a good place to start. Still not knowing anything about her, or even if she lived nearby, it was not possible to predict her movements. Only the fact that she had been in the bar earlier meant that she was around somewhere, and not too far away.

Reaching the woodland however, disappointment washed away his hopeful expectation. She wasn't there. Strolling through the green silently, he listened tightly for sounds, impatiently turning around. It was so awfully quiet, almost too quiet, the air thickening even more. Like when demons had an aim, not only mindless presence he thought when he heard a long, loud scream. It didn't sound like a scream of fear, but of deep frustration and mortal desperation. It was a woman. _There you are._

His coat became a flare of crimson as he took off in the direction of the distant noise. His guns bouncing against his lower back as he run, he knew they would be enough. After all, what one human could handle, he could waltz through in his sleep. The question was, was he too late?

Reaching the end of the eerily dark woods, he skidded to a halt, his senses opening up to pinpoint the centre of the commotion. _There._ It was like hell itself exploded behind a derelict office block right across the silent, empty street. The half-devil quietly whisked across the unlit road, advancing along a crumbling wall to the end of the dark building where he took a careful peek round the corner.

The sight that greeted him was an empty car park bathed in a spectral yellow light of the slowly receding moon. Scattered remains of large numbers of Lessers lay on the ground, the air littered with dancing ashes and pumped with suffocating smell of brimstone. The girl stood in the middle with reddened face, bloody stains gleaming through torn clothes on her back and legs. A telltale sign of a prolonged fight. _Damn_.

Two Abysses glided upward from the grey sea of concrete like disrobed reapers, their red glowing, oversized axes raised in readiness to strike their final blow. Holding both of her katanas this time, Rain's movement was sloppy and made heavy by her fatigue and wounds. As those long and heavy instruments came down in sync, she barely managed to block the weight with her swords, her knees buckling under the onslaught.

Disgusting wrinkly flesh glistening right in front of her, she instinctively let her swords slip and slice into their guts, rolling hard to the ground and out of the way of the rapidly descending blades. The monsters staggered backwards with a small grotesque delay, sinking back sinisterly into the solid ground, their stinking wounds already healed.

Managing to gather her feet back from under her with a rushed breath and a stumble, Rain pivoted with her blades held outwards and sliced the demons in half as they began to re-emerge. _Thank God for their predictability,_ she breathed out in relief, closing her mouth in expectation of the bloodbath that spattered from their viscid-red bodies splashing into her face, and onto the asphalt ground.

Dizzy from the harshly spinning move, sputtering out their vile blood from her lips, she slumped forward to clutch her wounded leg, trying to regain some semblance of balance and rein in the pain. She raised her head slightly about to wipe of the remaining blood from her face, through the slimy liquid in her eyes barely registering two other Abysses that flew at her with maddening speed.

Rain blinked once heavily, in time to see the demons' jagged teeth before the stench slammed shut her eyes. She knew there was no chance to get away. They were on top of her. Pressing her eyelids deeper into the thickening blood, she braced for the impact, and for her imminent death.

Time stopped. She felt it; the foul devils' breaths licking her face. The razor sharp edges of slime coated fangs near her sweat coated skin. The scent of gunpowder spreading in the air…

The moment the riveting sound of gunshots reached her ears, the abrupt change registered in her resigning mind, and her eyes sprang open.

A mistake. The demon's brain-matter and stinky blood splashed across her face yet again, now completely missing the endless surface of the concrete stretching underneath her feet. _Dear God, why is this happening to me?_

"Hey! Shitheads! Picking on women will only earn you a fast ticket to your point of departure." Fingers one with triggers, Dante charged his shots to molten scarlet while his face gained a deep-dark shade, eyes narrowing with vengeance of a coldblooded killer. The Lessers crashed to the ground with skulls cracked open to spray the car park with red graffiti.

"You sure throw some crazy parties lady! I hope you don't mind me butting in this time?" the half-devil incited, casually blowing the smoke away from Ivory as he pivoted to face her. He didn't feel very pleased with himself as he noted her poor state mingled with utter befuddlement from the corner of his eye. He may not have been too late, thank goodness, but it was too close. Way too close. Still, he had her where he wanted her now, his luck was still on his side. _Always._

Another group of monsters drifted upward from the concrete and paused menacingly, assessing the new contender glumly, their faces as ugly and grouchy as ever. _Now I have you where I want you too, assholes. _Dante's face lit up a notch.

"I'll tell you what," Dante taunted, slipping back into his usual carefree air as he knew he had her safe. Their attention was devoted to him now. "If one of you smiles, I will think about sparing your pathetic lives," he let his guns dance round his fingers twice before pointing them cross-armed dead at the evil-tempered Abysses, waiting. The demons let out a monotonic growl, simply resuming their instinctual advance, paying no heed to his nonsensical suggestions.

"I guess that's a no then," the hunter leapt high up in a half turn to dodge their near-lightning charge, and flipping in mid air sent an endless barrage of bullets down on their devil-eared heads, leaving two bloodied heaps behind when he landed easily back on the ground. Graveyard-like silence cut in, benignly accompanying the soft curl of smoke from his guns. _Guess that was the last one._

"You… You have _seen_ one or two?"

Dante turned to the sound of the exhausted, perplexed female voice. He was about to set the record straight, when he saw the girl's saddened face. _Saddened_? She seemed to be looking at him so awed and disbelieving, as if he was a myth coming to life right in front of her. And he thought she'd be pleased?

As if somewhat petrified, all stiff and unable to move, she remained still as a stone, her expression adamant in remaining surprised, despite her struggle to try and hide it. At that very moment though, looking into those helpless eyes, Dante felt a little out of his depth. He saw what he perceived as a weakness that she wanted to dismiss and hide, a weakness that she thought he would be able to use against her. God knew she was wrong. He knew all too well what it felt like, to fight alone, to not be able to trust anyone. A feeling now well buried for him, but for her, he battled to imagine what on earth had happened to her to make her feel like that, giving him the more reason for wanting to help her.

Much like an automaton doing a task with the absence of a mind, she reached her hand into the back of her belt and pulled out what seemed like a small injection. Slightly distracted, Dante let his eyes fall on her shaking hands just when she stabbed the needle straight into her thigh with no signs of pain or a single flinch. _What the hell?_

More blood spurted out from the wound, trickling down her trousers together with the dark green liquid that spilled over from the emptied syringe. She yanked the needle out, his blues no longer following her sluggish hand that placed the empty container back into her belt.

Dante finished staring, raising his eyebrow. "Oh, that's a new one…," he didn't know what else to say as he holstered his guns and sauntered to the girl. She was barely standing, her legs crumbling right under her.

He didn't even think about the fact that his plan somehow happened to work to the letter, that she should now tell him what he needed to know as she begun to fold numbly to the cold asphalt.

Before she hit the ground, unconscious, he caught her in his arms.

Some hours later…

A wall of blackness lingered around Rain as she struggled to move her pounding head, the feeling of nausea locking onto her empty stomach. The wounds, they were stinging ever so more as she had not eaten since that morning, or had it been the morning before? Somehow the events of the past few days seemed to blur in her exhausted, pounding mind. How long has it been since she stopped or even paused to think of something normal?

Her hand, so heavy and numb yet driven by a non-ending instinct of self-preservation, moved slowly along the long tear on her thigh to meet with the pain. As if a mere touch would make it go away, or was it to bring reassurance her leg was still there, she couldn't tell. Instead of a relieving sensation though, surprise made her eyebrows rise above her closed eyes as her tingling fingertips met with a rough texture - a bandage that she hadn't put on herself.

A ringing alarm opened her eyes, way too quickly, almost painfully against the persisting headache. The darkness they met was a consolation, as any bright light would have sent a sharp agony through her head. The space she was in was not completely drenched in the black though, lighter squares to her right revealed sash curtain-less windows, allowing a faint moonlight flow in and sprinkle its light dust around the rest of some sort of a room.

The room gradually came to life around her as each shape regained its definition. An almost empty bar par a few toppled bottles, a large desk in the middle with only one picture and nothing else, what looked like an antique jukebox in one corner, overly colourful in the grimness of everything else, and an ever so slowly moving, creaking ceiling fan above. What was behind her, she didn't know.

There were some dark shapes to the left side, as if clinging to the wall, sinking too deep into the shadows, hiding away from the lovely moonlight. Rain concentrated her eyes, narrowing on a spot that did not move, yet looked quite worryingly familiar; an outline of a figure, or, an animal… Or… An ugly, screaming demon! One! Two!

Eyes widening with acute panic, her body convulsed in trying to roll away, only succeeding in sliding off the frighteningly slippery surface she was on, onto a terribly hard one. The short fall shot through her numb body as if it wasn't numb at all, face hitting the wooden floor the hardest. Even if she could move at all at that very moment, the sudden flooding light accompanied by the sound of a very much manly, though playfully teasing voice made her stiffen up solid.

"Ah, running away already? I promise, I don't bite. On a second thought, that's a lie, but you should stay still."

"Where am I?" a quivering, muffled whisper came from the floor near the antiquated red sofa. The voice, it belonged to the man from the night before, that much she was able to discern and it made her even less at ease. One green eye lifted, shifting gingerly upwards along a staircase that must have led to the upper floor, until it paused on two bare feet, spread wide, standing on a wooden, time and worm eaten step.

Continuing upwards, until pain prevented her to go any further, she stopped on a waistline of low hung sweatpants bordering very much exposed, provocative outlines of a man's perfectly defined stomach. In fact, was it not for the dark grey way too low under his narrow hips he would have been completely naked.

"In my dazzling residence," the man, or rather the bare feet that seemed to speak as her eye had to slip back to a more comfortable level, boasted with tone of a great pride as they began to descend the stairs. Too bad the voice wasn't comforting enough to overturn her strong urge to get away. "I took the courtesy of hauling you to my place after you so conveniently passed out right into my arms," he added, squatting to see where she was.

"I most certainly did not! I distinctly remember… I… I don't remember," she huffed laboriously on the floor, now eyeing the countless balls of feathery fluff dislodged by her heavy breath. All that filth, as if demons lived there. Her lungs screamed for a cough but they were still on fire. The d_emons!_

"The demons! Get the demons!" she exhaled into the dust, palms slamming to the wooden floor. Her eyes flashing with returning panic, they flicked back to the staircase, looking for the big feet to make them kill the dark shadows that hung too fresh in her mind.

She made her head turn by an inch, pain or no pain, determined to start killing them with her despairing gaze if she had to, if he wasn't going to take them on himself. But all she succeeded in was grinding her teeth as the migraine killed her inward fervour in return. So not fair. A feeling of tiring hopelessness flooded her soul. Why wasn't he helping, why wasn't he fighting them like before? He _could_ kill them, couldn't he?

"Yeah, I took care of them. So, why don't you try and go to sleep, princess, and we can have a chat about it all in the morning, kay? I'm tired," Dante yawned disinterestedly, ready to return back to his warm bed, but noticed that she was not too quick to get up from the floor.

_He got them already?_ A subdued gasp brushed the dirty coldness of the rough wood, one even a half-devil couldn't hear. The smooth, unconcerned tone of his voice brought her back from the scary dark, opening up the brightness accentuated by the light that she only now noticed illuminated the room. He must have switched the light on, and the shadows were all gone.

"Hey, you don't want to sleep on the floor, it's probably alive," he advised thoughtfully, bending down with an untidy arctic-white eyebrow shooting up in curiosity.

_Now what you have gotten yourself into? Stupid Rain._ "I…I can't move. It appears…that one of the demons…gave me a dose of some debilitating agent," she spoke automatically, searching the floor to try and establish what exactly lived on it, while reaffirming in her mind that _he_ was the only other living thing above two feet tall in the room, she hoped.

_Debilitating agent? Who the hell talks like that?_ "Sure babe, whatever you say. Those demons looked way too sneaky." Dante stretched lower, gently sliding his fingers through her messy hair to examine her head for injuries.

_She must have hit her head when she hit the floor._ He blamed himself for lounging too much on the mottled old sofa, letting it become so polished it lacked the slightest grip. There was no pondering about it now of course, her head was fine and she should be as good as new in the morning.

Satisfied with his quick expert assessment, Dante drew in long air before sliding his hand under her stomach.

"In that case, at your service," he offered with a devil's grin, and without waiting for an answer lifted up her slender, wooden form right off the ground, then flipped her over in his arms like she was as light as a feather.

Two unblinking, wide green eyes scuttled at the sight of two smooth muscles of perfectly tanned skin, her head in frantic need to bury somewhere, anywhere to flee the feeling of utter embarrassment, finally finding a place to hide.

Halting his movements, taken aback by her unexpected reaction as he felt her head coop deep in his chest, Dante found himself holding his breath as if breathing would break her or scare her off. He gently lowered her down onto the worn out leather couch and silently pulled the fallen blanket back over her, backing away.

"Now, sweet dreams, babe," he sent her a friendly wink as breath came back to him, but she was looking away from him, teeth firmly clenched. Dante shook his head, all too knowingly recognizing her stubborn distrust driven distance. A bitter smile on his lips asked the question why only the women he needed or wanted to interact with had to be this difficult. Women… And a certain somebody. He had saved them, and proven himself, hadn't he? What more did he have to do? He turned to leave, hoping for her mistrust to be broken soon, when he heard a soft rustle behind him.

"Dante, right? Thank you," the woman spoke softly, barely audibly, listening as he ran up the stairs after a short silent pause. The light was replaced by the dark once more, but this time her eyes refused to look around, resigned instead to watch the ceiling fan above, letting the slow and perpetual movement lull her to sleep.

One floor above, lying awake for a while wearing a happy smile, Dante could not get her last words out of his head. Gratitude did not usually come with his job, and he certainly did not expect any. Though it felt good, especially the very sincere way she said it… How could someone so kind in nature have enough grit to rival that of someone as hard and impenetrable as Lady? To battle devils to exhaustion in acceptance of one's fate rather than making it one's baneful chore? _Does it sound at all familiar?_

He had to help her. He would help her, if only to make sure someone else could live a normal life when his own case was well long closed and unalterable. At least, he could then feel what this freedom was like, through her.

Hours later, the sunlight poured in through the windows in a fresh, cheery way, painting distorted rectangles that slowly made their way across the room, eventually framing a face. Long lashes fluttering, the face frowned and turned away. Lazily, Rain stretched her arms behind her head, joyfully noting that she was able to move.

"I never thought anyone could sleep longer than me," she heard as she lifted her head to see her tall rescuer casually leaning against a door inside the big room. He had his arms crossed, looking at her with confident eyes, his lip lifted enough to curl into a killer smile. But just what did he think he would be killing? Face set into blank neutrality, Rain observed him without a response, mind set on escape.

"Feel free to take a shower and join me in the kitchen for some breakfast," he said nonchalantly, unpeeled himself from the door frame, and swaggered to the kitchen.

_Uhuh_. Relieved from his presence, her eyes moved and travelled to a clock she spotted on the wall. Eleven thirty. She had never slept that long. Absentmindedly, as she sat up carefully, her hand shifted down to the bandage neatly wrapped around her thigh. Looking down, she let her fingers glide across, feeling with certainty the healed wound underneath, while her mind wandered to the stranger.

She should just walk away right this moment and forget about what had happened for the past two nights, forget about this peculiar owner of this even more peculiar establishment. She should have left the town after the first meeting, as she would normally do, as it had always been for the best. So what stopped her? There was something different this time. _He_ was different. But hadn't her resulting and careless curiosity nearly cost her her life?

She should move, like she had always done. Though she had never seen anyone fight like him, not for a very long time. Not demons. He knew what he was doing. How long has it been? How long since she could even mention what no one would even consider existing? She was so confused. Would he let her leave? Would he follow again? Who was he? Why did she feel so much that she had to find out? Far stronger an impulse than her need to pack up and go?

If she stayed though, her carelessness had to go. Starting with not taking a shower in a stranger's place while he was still around. It was obvious he lived without restraints, nothing could be out of limits for him, not with the way he came across. A mortal trait. Yes, she would leave at the first sign of trouble. Then everyone else would be safe. With that settled in her mind, Rain stood up and taking her fully housed katana case with her just in case, made for the kitchen.

The young man was sitting at a small round table, massive boots opened at the top sticking out from underneath, connecting to long legs wrapped too tight in fitting red jeans. His wide torso, leaning back against the seat, was covered up by a black buckled top, to her relief. In fact it was more what he was eating that caught her attention, some sort of a cereal swimming in milk and…in a jam?

His blue eyes lifted lazily from his morning meal as if he just noticed she stood there, uncertainty making her clutch her right elbow, while she checked out the simple but functional décor of the small kitchen.

"You don't like my shower?" he said randomly, looking back at his bowl, chewing on his meal.

"I would prefer not to undress in a stranger's house. Nothing personal," she shifted her long-lashed eyes to his face uncomfortably.

"I suppose that's a good reason. Nothing wrong with being shy," a mischievous smile spread under his nose. _Give them a reason to argue and they will stay._ "So, did you thank me for saving your ass or for making you more comfortable last night?" he asked offhandedly.

"W-what?" she stammered out confused.

"Last night, when you thanked me," Dante reminded her, flicking his spoon up and down before resuming his breakfast.

"Oh, I…I don't know. Both? And…for this," she pointed to her bandaged leg. Feeling out of place, Rain lifted her hand to put pressure on her temple with her thumb, the rest of her fingers trying to hide her paling face.

_What, no arguing? Maybe she is hungry._ "You hungry?" as if saying a silent by the way, he hinted at the second bowl placed conveniently in front of an empty seat.

"Who are you?" she jumped in, unable to take the beating around the bush any longer. He had to be real, he just had to. Holding his intense, piercing eyes hostage, she slipped forward and sat down after resting her weapons against the table subconsciously. "A devil hunter?" she said it carefully like it was an extinct, mythical profession.

He flipped the spoon into the air again, catching it between two of his fingers without looking. "What gave me away? My awesome display of skill the other day?"

Dante's apparent game play adding to her frustration, the female guest started to get up from her chair. "Look, I think I should go," she sighed, exasperation surfacing in her voice.

"Wait, ok, ok, I will get to the point." He stretched out his arm, pointing for her to sit down. Reluctantly she gave in, and started to pour some cereal into the bowl, followed by milk, as her stomach began to rumble.

"Sure, I am a devil hunter; one of a kind. I am the local authority here on any matters demon_,_" Dante said, clearing his throat as he looked sheepishly at the strawberry syrup dripping from his spoon, before slowly meeting her eyes. In his mind, he had the final say in serious cases, so that's all that mattered.

"So you can see why I need to ask you about the portal. But first, you are in the same business?" he questioned conversationally while crunching on the cereal flakes drenched in crimson, his eyes not leaving hers. Now he needed to know if she was telling the truth. He suspected she wasn't exactly a devil hunter but wanted to put her at ease. He could almost taste the volatile skittishness that emanated from her in increasing doses every passing second. He had never met anyone so distrusting before, not Lady, and… Not even his long gone brother.

"No. My business is my own and not to be shared!" she hurled out, suddenly paling again, as if afraid to be asked to say too much.

Dante gazed at her, mouth half open. _So much for putting her at ease._

Nervously, she plunged her fingers into her hair to twirl a few strands, adding more quietly, "It's a necessity. And, I move around too much so don't worry about me cutting into your profits," Rain looked at him so unnaturally, he knew that this was meant as a distraction from her reaction before. She was hiding a secret. There was no chance he would fall for that, especially when he now knew that he had to know a lot more. _Damn_. Her eyes told him she hated demons, but who was hunting who exactly…

"I'm not. What I am worried about is that custom made portal. What do you know about it?" he looked directly into her eyes, azure orbs blazing, to emphasize that he was not kidding around.

She stared at him for a few seconds, startled, wondering what to say. Why was she here? Forcibly, she had to remind herself, why she had stayed, why she sat at this stranger's table and hadn't skipped town once again. Because, he was unlike anyone she had ever met. Because, she was so tired, so scared of this vicious circle with no door to get out. Because there was a hidden intelligence tangled up with deep understanding flickering just past those wild and unwavering eyes of his. It was barely visible, only when he turned all serious and intense. Is that why he was hiding behind that comic act and lopsided smile? Worried that someone might see something more? Somehow, she could understand.

She blinked at his unique eyes, her courage lifted by her secret discovery. He was no novice to violence and the burdens that it carried. That much was obvious. Maybe he could help. But apart from fighting demons, how much did he know about the underworld and the possible links to the human world? Her finger left her hair and she leaned forward, the milk stirred by her spoon.

"The portals appear every five nights each month when the moon reflects the maximum light from the sun," licking her drying lips, Rain started to explain while keeping a contact with Dante's blue eyes, trying to catch any sign of doubt, ridicule, or straight out rejection.

"During a full moon, huh? Creepy!" Dante interrupted with interest, shaking his head.

Encouraged by the lack of what she had feared, she kept going. "I don't know how it's possible, but it has been happening for the past three years. They always appear right next to me no matter where I am, so it's safe to assume they are meant to…you know," she paused, eating a mouthful of cereal hungrily, her eyes now flicking between the half-devil and the enticing food.

"So far, I was able to defend myself as the portals seem to be only capable of letting through small numbers of demons, but last night, a lot of them already in the area joined the summoned party. I made the mistake of coming back to the same place," she blushed and lowered her eyes in shame. Dante felt grateful for her averted gaze, suppressing the urge to whistle innocently about his careless plot. Still, he wondered why it was that she had changed her habits after so long. Had it been because of him?

"Three years?" He repeated, mouth slightly ajar, a flake stuck to his lips. "And you don't know why? You didn't ask for help?" Dante challenged though he knew how things were. _A stupid question_. Now finished with his morning meal, he wiped the flake off his mouth, and leaned back, balancing his chair on its back legs. His guest watched the acrobatics intently as if expecting him to fall off any moment.

"At first I just took it as a coincidence but when the portals kept appearing, of course I wondered about their purpose. I have searched for the answer, believe me. In the usual places at first, but without success, and even my extensive collection of books on demonology did not yield any useful results." Rain continued desperately and eagerly, slightly disappointed that the silver-haired hunter safely returned the seat onto its four legs. She realized, to her surprise, all the while his over-relaxed aura has been concreting her confidence to talk. Wasn't it dangerous?

_Extensive collection of books, huh? She would sure get along with… Didn't he always have a coffee to think?_ Dante stopped his brain going any further by silently getting up and taking a stroll to the coffee machine. "You want some coffee?" He asked, struggling to tear his mind off the girl's story. What did it all mean? What dark aspirations could have lain behind this unheard of phenomenon? Should he dare to take a guess?

"Coffee?" she repeated absently, her thoughts distant. It was so hard to get used to someone reacting with such a matter of course to things she had witnessed nobody to believe or understand. Was it really real? Maybe coffee would clear her mind. "Yes…black, no sugar, thanks," the huntress said simply.

_No sugar, huh._ Dante pressed a button on the machine, glancing back at the girl. _No sugar to be on the run for three years. Fear takes the smiling off anyone. _Dante wondered at her soft nature so at odds with her way of life. Unlike Lady, hard by choice and nature, Rain didn't choose to fight, she seemed fighting for her life. A life she would choose to exchange for a better one, a happy one if she could and he could sympathize with that.

Nothing happening with the coffee, she looked up at him, face blank, almost scared.

_Let's see if I'm right…_ Dante whipped back and readying his fingers with an agile wiggle, run them across all the buttons of the machine, then started to play them like a piano. "You have to know how to handle these things, it usually involves delicate fingers," he said with a pleasing grin, shooting her a radiant glance over his shoulder.

"She is all willing now," his grin widened as the sound of trickling water filled the kitchen. That was before the sinking feeling of wet pants combined with scorching hotness made him freeze stark still, the hot dark liquid dribbling down his trousers.

Rain stared at him bewildered. "You make coffee often?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, a small tugging at her lips.

_Gotcha_, though not the way he planned, Dante thought, and while holding his gaze to the makings of her smile, he grabbed a drinking cup with the speed of light and slipped it under the dripping coffee.

"Only for guests," he seeped out, struggling to ignore his burning parts, willing them to heal, quickly. He remained upright, leaning just enough to reach for the filled cup and handed it to Rain. "So, where were we?"

"I haven't got the faintest idea," she blinked a few times, then inspected the coffee suspiciously. How did he manage to take her mind of those baleful things so easily?

Silence filled the room for a few moments, broken by Dante's snapping fingers. "Oh, the portals." He exclaimed. "You have no idea who could be after you?" Dante resumed the conversation, slanted blue eyes carefully surveying her features. Despite her hesitance, there were no signs telling him that she could be lying. In fact the desperate tiredness and frustration hidden deep within her, visible exclusively to a sixth devil sense, could only prove that she truly didn't know.

"No, I don't," she sighed, resigned. "Every time it gets too out of hand, I quickly move somewhere else. It seems, once they find me, somehow they start sending in demons that are already nearby in the human world. Just like last night."

"So, that explains the unannounced congress," Dante scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, you are good for my business," his eyes gleamed with a devilish mirth. Deep down though, he could sympathise with her unfortunate predicament. About to ask why she hadn't moved this time, the answer came to him on its own. It was so clear, from that heart-wrenching bewilderment in her eyes the night before. She had never seen anyone fight like him, a natural born survivor, which had sparked an untameable curiosity or perhaps a newly found hope.

Rain though found a newly discovered cold stare which she sent his way, crossing her arms on her chest. She had never met anyone so contradictory, anyone who could make her all hopeful, strangely happy, at ease, tense, and so annoyed, all within the space of a few minutes. "Have you seen anything like this before?" she asked, hope winning over annoyance, for now.

"I can't say that I have….but that may be a good thing. Unusual phenomena are easier to get information on," the half-devil said with deviousness dancing on his tongue, his finger tapping on his temple.

"What are you suggesting?" she leaned forward expectantly. A sudden warm shiver rushed down her spine. Could he really help? After all these years of frustration, running and searching? An indescribable euphoria overwhelmed her as her eyes blurred just for a moment, the feeling of moistness covering them until she blinked it away. Inwardly she scorned herself for letting her shields down, yet knew well why. After all, she had kept contact with others to a minimum, relying on no one but herself for almost eight years. It was too much to believe this could all come to an end, like a cured terminal disease.

Dante shot up from his seat and darted to the main office, shouting back, "I have a few good contacts, both voluntary and…not so much." The hunter in red rummaged through the drawers of his oversized desk and pulled out a thin notebook bound in brown leather.

Rain followed him, dragging her sword bag with her, and sat down quietly on the sofa, peering at Dante with a subdued hopeful look as he flipped through the small book.

Browsing the pages, Dante occasionally shook his head, chuckled devilishly or both at the same time, until his finger rested on one entry, "This one might be a bit tricky but is most likely to know something."

Seeing the half mesmerized, half worried look on her face as he turned to her, Dante explained, "This guy, a demon, keeps in touch with home sweet home and I get the gossip in return for not killing him." He grimaced evilly, "I think it's time for another reminder."

Dante tossed the book back into its original place and glanced back at Rain, noticing she was not exactly ecstatic about his suggestion. "What's wrong?"

"Why would you want to help me? You don't even know me," she shifted uncomfortably, looking up into his warm, steady eyes. They were so darn comforting, so confident… So too good to be true.

"Cause this is what I do. Local authority, remember? And, as I said. I am way too good at it to let it go. So don't worry. I will sort this out for you," the half-devil tilted his head, pointing his thumb towards his big chest, a convincing smile dominating his face. "Anyway, there will be plenty of time to get to know each other later," he winked at her wickedly.

Rain resigned herself to his explanation with a small nod, choosing not to get annoyed again. The way she had grown up, she had not been accustomed to this directness and carefree bravados, but she could detect no malice in his demeanour. And perhaps, at the same time, she just needed to believe that he was sincere and honest about wanting to and being able to help. That was a better place to be than before. If only he would be more careful.

"No need to worry pussycat, I will not go alone. But thanks for your concern," smirk growing dangerously on his lips, he swaggered past the old oak desk and picked up a massive broadsword that was propped against the wall, hidden from view until now.

God, was she that obvious? And did he mean there were more like him? Rain stayed stark still, this time with numbing awe, the steel of Dante's weapon dancing in his hands a gray blur.

"It's my lady friend here that will do all the talking," he kissed the flat of the blade lovingly, not bothering to wipe off the smudge his lips left on her cold metal skin.

Rain breathed out, the ridicule of her mistake making her flush rosy pink. More of him? How absurd. How could she had thought that? It took eight years to stumble upon just one of him - _Pretty much a mythical being._ Wanting to hide her embarrassment, she put out some version of a charming smile, "You always let the women talk?"

Dante cracked a grin, thinking he had her well on the way to full cooperation, or was it recuperation, even getting on her good books for praising women. "Well, no one can do better talking than they do. Quite honestly, those two are the best conversationalists I have ever met," he beamed, fingers patting lightly on Ebony and Ivory lying restfully on the desk, before shifting his eyes to her case. "You should know - you have a great pair there yourself. Or do you always let the guys talk?" he said conversationally.

A female instinct rushing deeper red into her cheeks, it took her a few seconds to figure out what he was referring to. Her eyes travelled down as she run her fingers over the top of the leather case, giving him a faint soft smile. "They were passed onto me by my parents, a family tradition if you like."

"Show me," the devil hunter rested Rebellion against the desk and extended his right arm to her in an invitation.

She hesitated, her swords never having left her side before. It was like letting go of something too personal, a security blanket of an always scared child. Green eyes pleading to be careful and fast, she handed him her precious heirloom, in a first hint of trust she had not given to anyone in eight long years.

Seeing her pure discomfort and child like shyness, Dante nearly hesitated himself, a blinding visit to the past rushing through his head. Despite himself, he took the blades, a sharp chink slicing the silence as he pulled them out. Two long, gently curved katanas slotted easily into his large expert hands, their light weight making them a pleasure to wield, like a woman, and almost impossible to resist. Soon, a blur of silver-white painted the air, green eyes filling with astonishment at the unseen harmony of steel and a man.

Dante ceased his lightning appraisal, but instead of handing the weapons back to her, he stared at them blankly, frown gradually clouding over his usually cheerful face. The swords were twins, a tiger and a leopard, one white and one black, mighty and graceful, inseparable, yet always having to keep apart, unable to connect without eliciting flying aggressive sparks. How could something so beautiful get so lost in its purpose?

"Dante? Is something wrong?" Rain lifted her apprehensive eyes, seeing his mind disappear for the first time since they had met. "You don't like them?" She asked sincerely.

He shrugged offhandedly. "Nah, the swords are great. It's just that…never mind," he handed the katanas back to Rain.

"I better get a move on," he muttered dryly, his back now turned to her, grabbing his red leather coat. "It's best to have a chat with my source during daylight. A fewer unwanted ears around."

Although the daylight was still plentiful, he had to get away and get some fresh air. He had to get his head together, and stop this dangerous reminiscence getting the better of him. The girl, it seemed she would stay with him now, at least till he would find some information that would help solve both of their problems: her unexplained attacks and his need to keep hell away from his backyard, and everyone else's. So it was crucial he had found some solid ground to stand on, not get jitters of the past every time she made a move.

_Get a grip. It's not him doing this._ Dante convinced himself as he flung his jacket onto his shoulders masterfully.

Finding it hard to comprehend him and to get past all the different colours that surrounded him at any given moment, Rain instead focused on the progress at hand. It was small, yet much more than what she ever had. The disappointment, if it was to happen, should be equally small, so at least she hoped.

Packing the few possessions she had with her, she stood up, readying to leave. Glancing down, the sight of the dirty bandages made her take and untie the end, and automatically unwrap the rough cloth from her leg. Secretly, she was grateful for his decorum, although quite unexpected and contradictory, as he had left on all her clothing. Otherwise, she would have not talked to him this morning.

"You sure that's a good idea?" She raised her eyes to see Dante's surprised gaze. "Nothing personal, but you might get arrested, promenading around looking like you changed your mind in the middle of a plastic surgery," he stood there thoughtfully, pointing to the red soaked cloth she peeled off from the shredded fabric on her thigh.

Unfazed, Rain put away the bloody gauze, her fingers sliding in between the tears of the tattered leather to glide over unbroken skin under, the deep wounds that she bore the day before almost completely gone.

"How the heck did you…?" Dante's mouth opened but didn't finish the question as he recalled the night before. "It was that green shit you dosed on last night, wasn't it?"

"No, I would not endeavour to liquidize shit for whatever benefit it might possibly have. This is quite the opposite, a pure green ambrosia, a powerful healing gift from the ancients who had governed all matters demonic with far more intelligence and astuteness than in the more recent baleful millennia," she elaborated resentfully, deep passion rising in her tone. "My ancestors discovered it soon after their first encounters with demons."

Dante stood stark stunned for a short passing moment, not expecting something that his father would have rambled on to be coming out of the mouth of a human. Besides, what was this world coming to, humans shooting demonic orbs as easy as drugs?

He flung Rebellion onto his back matter-of-factly, ignoring her speech. "I should be back before sunset. Meet me at the Blue Star tonight at seven," the half-demon grabbed his ladies from the worn out desk, and with a stylish roll around his fingers, holstered them under his coat. He marched to the door confidently and opened it, following Rain as she walked out.

They departed in opposite directions, slowly disappearing from each other's view as they hoofed it through the old cobbled streets.

The time couldn't have passed any slower. Anxiety mixed with anticipation, Rain paced on a narrow path amongst the darkening leafy trees that swayed and rustled quietly in the approaching night. The shadows deepened and prolonged as she looked up at the outline of the moon, now losing its perfect round shape.

It must have been half six, the darkness slowly creeping into the sky, the moonlight brightening. She should not have left the house so soon, anxiously idling like that, in the same spot, now at the mercy of the prowlers. What difference would it make if she was to find out her life was to change half an hour earlier? _All of it_.

_Get a grip, he is going to do it, you'll see._ A sharp scratching sound made her whisk her head to the gathered leaves under one bushy tree, hand clasping hard the white hilt protruding from her leather case.

Heart pounding profusely, she could have killed herself for being so uncharacteristically careless. _Not now, you damn bastards, not now._ Hand becoming tremulous, her katana inched forward from its saya as the sound of a branch breaking intensified in the eerie silence.

Nerves strained, the naked steel gleaming in the cascade of moonlight, she nearly jumped out of her skin as a small cat walked out from under the tree. The small furry creature looked at her curiously and gave a hoarse meow, then stalked away into the shadows.

Knees close to buckling, Rain pushed her katana back in, willing herself to breathe.

"I need a vacation, badly," she muttered quietly, her boots crunching on the gravel as she headed out of the park. What she really needed though was some peace, some semblance of a life, an end to this madness, and to get to this meeting with Dante. Badly.

The club was already heaving when she arrived, the heavy air and flashing lights unable to hide the stark contrast of a blood-red coat against platinum hair. Not many dared to stand out so much, not in a business that involved crawling in shadows, Rain thought as she made her way through the buzzing crowd, then stopped as her eyes noted his equally sticking out company.

Squeezed against the bar, a voluptuous brunette stood in front of Dante, hair gathered up high just like her impossible heels. Her dress, unable to support not even mentioning to contain her pumped up breasts popping out with her every breath at the man in front of her, didn't leave much for the imagination.

Not knowing why, gaining in aggravation at the sight, exaggerated by Dante's seaming undivided interest in nothing but the so obviously flirting bombshell at a time like this, Rain strode over and tapped on his shoulder.

"Please ladies, one at a time!" he turned round lazily with slitted gleaming eyes, beer sitting comfortably in his hand. Glittery dew slid off the glass and dripped slowly across his long fingers, and onto the bust-queen's exposed thigh.

Brightening azure eyes met with darkening green ones. "Well aren't I lucky tonight!" he chuckled in relief, happy to see Rain - his rescuer from the unwanted clutches of the unbearable brunette.

Exploding on the inside, Rain shook her head in disbelief, turned on her heels without saying a word, and made for the exit. Dante hopped off his seat, leaving the brunette with her mouth in mid-flirt and run after the blonde. Despite the slight sway in his stride, he easily caught up with Rain and grabbed her arm.

"Hey. Wha-s a matter?" he could not quite comprehend her behaviour, his intoxicated brain unable to think of what he has done wrong, pulling the angry woman back to him. _Women! Can't please them, can't shoot them._

"You! You…," she tried to catch her breath, her chest heaving with a mangle of emotions she couldn't name. "I am out of my mind this whole time and you just…get drunk and…and think this is funny?" she blurted out breathlessly, hand shaking as it slid into a loose fist to linger idly on his chest.

"I was happy to see you. And I ain't drunk," Dante drawled, knowing he was drunk but would sober up in no time once he stopped drinking. Just any time now. _Hiccup_. Maybe it wasn't working that fast or he just had a few too many. But they were on the house!

"And I am the queen of hell!" She retorted sarcastically, raw disappointment clouding her mind. She wasn't supposed to feel like this. He didn't owe her anything. He was right, what _was_ the matter with her?

_That would actually help to explain a thing or two, _Dante assessed pensively and whipped up a wry smirk. She was no fun at all and moody as hell. Although, he could sympathise.

"Look Rain, you have to understand…," he placed his hands on her shoulders and regarded her with his disarming eyes. It didn't work. He was about to explain, but Rain jumped in with her fractious nerves.

"No, I understand perfectly, I never did think that someone out there could actually care about someone else's problems, because why should they…"

Impatience taking hold of him, Dante squeezed her firmer, voice sobering fast. "Listen. It has taken a lot less time than I thought. So, I came here to wait for you after dropping off my best friend. I couldn't just sit here like a dry prune, now could I? Come and sit down. I have some good news." He nudged her with a confident wink.

Abashed by her completely unforgivable lapse of control, yet unable to resist the good news to the point of her stomach fluttering almost uncontrollably, mouth partly open yet stark quiet, Rain let him drag her over to a more secluded corner at the back of the bar.

They sat down, and Dante sprawled himself out in the comfortable leather chair, snapping his fingers at a nearby waitress. A petite redhead in her twenties scurried over and after eyeing them like they were from another planet, with Rain's mouth still hanging open, she blurted, "What will it be?"

"I'll have a beer, and the queen of hell here will have an orange juice?" he glanced at Rain with an innocently smiling expression to confirm the order.

Rain closed her mouth instead of mouthing a protest, the sinking feeling that she had been horrible making her strangely calm down. She had no right to be taking her own frustrations out on him, especially since he was the only one so far who hadn't run away at the first sign of trouble. When she simply nodded, and the waitress vanished out of sight, Dante leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table.

"So what's the news," Rain let out quietly, biting her lip, on some level wishing she had never met him and was now as far as possible from this place. Now, the expectations were just unbearable. And so would be the disappointment.

The half-demon considered his answer for a while, not wanting her to feel let down. He had a feeling deep inside, that she would then disappear and he would not see her again. Finally, deciding to be as brief as he could, he said concisely, "I didn't find out who is after you, but, I know where the portals are coming from. So finding that place might lead to finding your obsessed admirer, if you catch my drift," he lifted his eyebrows, expecting her to react but all he received was an unreadable stony face.

He waved his hand in front of her. "Earth to hell queen. Anyone receiving? Please, come in…"

"Sorry…I just…somehow…did not expect you to get any information so quickly…or at all," she tried to explain, stunned. "I feel so stupid now," her cheeks blushed with tremendous shame, eyes lowering down to peer at the table. It took him mere hours what she had tried to do for three years!

"Hey, no need. Didn't I tell you I was the best? I have a sixth sense for these things, you know," he tried to console her, tapping his nose. "And contacts you'd get killed for if you even wrote them down. God knows they tried. So don't be so hard on yourself."

Seeing a fragile smile forming on her lips as she looked up at him, he continued, daring a smug smirk, "So, aren't you gonna ask me where it is?"

They both waited for the redhead to serve their drinks and Dante thanked the waitress with a gaudy wink, accompanied by a toothy grin. Staying silent at his outward antics, something she was beginning to get accustomed to, Rain leaned forward and looked straight into his ice blue orbs. "Before I ask, can you do something for me?"

He nodded.

"Stop calling me a hell queen," she bestowed him with a faked grin of her own.


	3. Rain Came Tears Reigned

A/N: Hm, I said this would come out sooner but it took me a while. Sorry about that. Hopefully you can see that a lot has changed yet in small amounts. Also a few of you commented on the rating so I can tell you that I will indeed change it to M from the next chapter. Many, many thanks to all readers, I respond to you all personally but for those anonymous I cannot do so. In this case I can only thank you briefly not wanting to spam this space, but if you'd like a nicer and longer response please do sign in. Finally, a big thanks to Night Companion who has helped me a great deal and also been a terrific friend. Now on with the read!

**CH3 – Rain Came. Tears Reigned.**

"She better be on time_,_" the silver-haired half demon grouched to himself as he recalled how tediously lengthy a woman's preparation could be, especially when it included packing. For one night! Waiting around wasn't his thing at all as such a useless activity was very different from doing nothing. He could do absolutely nothing very productively as it was a time to recharge his batteries, but this wasn't an easy task to do when waiting for a woman who could come in at anytime now and cut short his 'recuperation' at the most inappropriate moment.

Sitting at his desk with his feet stretched across the top, Dante kept flipping through his favourite Race Amok in Style magazine, yet his fidgetiness making his eyes run to the door constantly wouldn't even let him get the full benefit of such important reading. He pondered if this tension was due to letting her convince him into foolishly using her own car versus his. If only he had not obtusely revealed that his prized bright red TVR Cerbera was only a sporty two-seater which she didn't approve of for the trip.

Nearly falling off the chair at the unnerving sound of an approaching vehicle that hit his exorbitantly straining ears, Dante concluded that the thought of driving anything but his own car was the culprit of his irritable mood. Finally hearing nothing but a slam of a heavy door, he tossed the magazine absently to the floor, and grabbing his small duffel bag and sword, vaulted over the desk to dauntlessly face his little ego-flattening screw up. _Surely, how bad could it be?_ That brought his mind to yet another tiresome compromise that she had sprung up on him so unexpectedly last night. Of course she wanted to go, and no amount of definitive, menacingly said noes were enough to budge her stubborn, equally definitive insistence. Women!

Swinging the door wide open with extra borrowed enthusiasm, about to make a point to stare shrilly into Rain's face, instead he ended up staring at her bottom as she was bending down, checking something under the bonnet of his worst nightmare – a small, no doubt slow 4 by 4.

"That's your ride?" he protested in a rueful outcry, his eyes absorbing the unexpected sight. A sulky scowl crept onto his face as he crossed his arms and shook his head, locking himself into an unflinching stance. "If you expect me to go in that, forget it," he said adamantly with an unshakeable voice.

Rain straightened up and waved her hand at the smart guy clad in red. "Don't think that I couldn't go by myself. Just tell me where it is, and I will be on my merry way," she snapped pouting, not familiar with this kind of childishness that was surprisingly making her act in a similar way. Was she that tense?

Holding her emerald gaze by his own for a few long moments, Dante finally felt his clenched muscles unstring, having a hard time trying not to laugh. "Yeah, that's a good one. How about I don't tell you where it is so that you can't go on your own, and we go in my car?" he made a triumphant face. There was no way he would let her go alone as she would most likely just go ahead and get herself killed, and this way they could still go in his baby. Who said he couldn't wield diplomacy as well as his sword?

He however prayed her luggage was small enough to fit in his two-seater, when his self-assured victory was annoyingly cut short as she seemingly complied without further bickering and walking around began to pull her things out of the back. Well, actually only one thing. A very massive suitcase!

Dante's panicked eyes flicking between the oversized luggage and the very much inadequate rear boot of his stylish sports car, alarms leapt to the front from the depths of his stomach. Shit! Did women really believe they needed an entire wardrobe for a one night stay? Why not just put wheels on it and drive that?

Her gaze calmly flowed to him for a sufficient amount of time until her upper lip lifted higher. "So, we go in my car. What's wrong with it anyway?" She said quizzically, back at the front letting the bonnet slide easily down with a steady click.

Dante's eyes, falling on the proud familiar crest for the first time, widened in stunned disbelief. Face twisted in genuine pain, he shouted, "Oh my God. They have done this to a Porsche? That's it. Some things are off limits and someone has crossed the line. This thing is not only a disgrace to sport cars everywhere, it is grotesques desecration at its worst." Stroking the hood, he promised with a croon, "Poor baby. Look what they've done to you. On my sword, I will avenge you. I swear when I find out which heretic came up with this… this… sacrilege, they're dead."

Yes, she was definitely tense, she thought, unblinking emerald eyes following Dante's melodramatic reactions as he lamented about the car. He had been darn right she needed him, but how could she not go in her trusty off-roader? His fancy car would no doubt break down half way there leaving them stranded in the middle of a desert surrounding this island of a town. Wasn't going to happen, not with something this important and so close to getting to the end of her never ending, tiring marathon.

Growling inwardly as he never thought he'd call a Porsche hideous, a thought struck him what else had been tampered with since the idea could have only come from the demon world for sure. "Does it even drive?" She heard in the background, breaking through the fog of her thoughts into the daylight. Yes, it might even take her mind of the gloom if she could concentrate on making him eat his own words. _Does it drive! Like a dream._

"Yes, it does not only drive, I could take you on anytime, anywhere – in that rust prone old-timer of yours," Rain was amazed at the easiness to retaliate using immature language, thrilled she had had the shrewdness to slot her small travelling bag into an excessively large suitcase that was unlikely to fit in his excuse for a car.

_I'll believe it when I drive it._ "Honey, I'll pretend I didn't hear that since we have a date elsewhere. But what's important right now is that my old-timer - I mean my baby here can hold my sword. I can't even think of a way fitting it into yours," Dante protested with lingering hope of overcoming the female will, suppressing the need to prove her wrong by having a race there and then. Unfortunately he was well aware there was no time.

Scolding herself for inventing double meanings, Rain offered happily, "Anywhere you like." Purposefully slowly, she flipped back the rear seats, easily slotting in her large luggage leaving plenty of space for his oversized sword. Well just.

"Yeah… But I drive. I still intend to get there today," Dante muttered grumpily, giving his silent farewell to a ride in his beautiful red car, and the picture of a sunset, about to saunter to the driver's side. He was still intrigued to find out if she was right about the speed since grown men, and devils, were not supposed to cry. _Lord above, if you have any mercy at all, please do not let anyone recognize me in this abomination from hell._

"Oh no, no, no. This is my car, so I drive. Who knows what you'd do to it after your little tantrum earlier," Rain proclaimed in a panic, quickly hopping into the driver's seat, hands wrapping around the steering wheel tightly. There was no way she was going to let him drive and burn off all the tyres at once before they even rolled off the pavement.

Happy Dante didn't say anything more, although he flung his things into the boot rather sulkily, Rain straightened in her seat, letting out with a refreshed enthusiasm, "So when do you think we'll get there?"

The half-demon stretched out lazily in the soft and warm seat, placing his hands behind his head, subsiding deeper into the leather seeking a comfortable positionas he spoke tauntingly, "Well, you see, with me driving we'd be there in no time, but with you driving? I don't know… Tomorrow?"

Forcing calmness into her naturally polite voice, Rain asked, "Aha, so then, if this was supposed to be such a speedy excursion, why did you insist we needed to pack for overnight? Or did you plan on having to camp out as your car can only manage one trip at a time?"

"Nah, babe, you got it wrong," Dante let out a long dreamy exhale. "You see, where we're going, there is this dream castle on top of pure white rocks overlooking the blue bay south from here. It sure sounds like a pretty place. In fact, I would have called ahead to reserve a room with the best view, but I didn't have their number." He was inclined comfortably in the seat, hands still folded behind his head as he turned one eye to her.

Despite her Rain almost let out a laugh, wondering how it would feel. Laughter had been estranged from her for so long, she would have loved to let go once again. So why didn't she? Seeing that he hasn't buckled up, a reminder of her fear raked across her spine at the thought of the possible dangers up ahead. That's why she didn't laugh. It was always cut too short.

"Please buckle up," Rain asked as a matter of course, letting the engine purr to life.

Looking at her as if he had misheard, Dante' face made dubious expression as he informed her offended, "Do I look like someone who wears a seatbelt? Babe, I am made of steel and unbreakable," omitting to mention the need to stay free in case of unexpected trouble.

"Sure I heard that one before. Now put the seatbelt on or we aren't going." Rain's stern eyes gazed back but that didn't break Dante one bit. He needed to be on the alert and mobile at all times and buckling up didn't fit into the picture.

"Nah, uh. You can go on your own if you want but if I remember right you still don't know where we are going," he winked at her victoriously while wiggling his eyebrows.

Seeing that he would not budge on that one, grudgingly and against her rules, Rain pulled onto the road.

Taking it easy through the city, careful not to cause any harm or draw attention, Rain finally relaxed giving into the calm rhythm of the drive. The tranquil air did not last though as a sudden racket burst through her ears, nearly giving her a heart attack. _Oh dear God, what was that?_ Hands gripping the wheel so that she would not swerve, Rain glanced about the car when a gust of wind hit her face from above, Dante's hand passing her vision to press another button.

"Hey babe, did you know what all this can do? Whoa! Electric windows, and I wonder what this is for?"

"Shut up!" Rain exploded, instantly blanching at her own words.

"I'll shut up if you let me drive," he said smugly, gleaming eyes already looking for another gadget to test.

"I am not being funny here but have you ever considered the possibility that you have a big problem? Like, one that needs sorting?" Rain gave him an irked look, promising hell if he even tried to play with one more thing.

The surprised half-breed paused and looked at her innocently, hand retracting from another button. "I have a problem? No, I'm just fine."

"But I'm not," Rain grumbled quietly, more to herself, eyes setting on the road.

Quietness descended around them as the road straightened out as if being perpetually ironed, stretching for miles, up ahead a mountain range that appeared as small as a low bearing cloud. Dante zoned out, eyes falling closed by the monotone hum of the engine, a masterful symphony he hadn't thought he'd appreciate. The smooth transition of soothing base sounds allowed him to forget the lingering glumness of last night and catch some shut eye. Early starts always made him so tired.

"I think we can now stay on this road for a while as it leads directly south. You could have a nap if you like."

Floating out of his half-dreaming state, Dante managed to mumble, "Uh huh," before his mind was carried away again on a fluffy white cloud to dreamland.

Fortunately for him, sleeping was one of three great things he did not had any difficulty doing; eating junk food and killing demons being the other two. In a way he should have been a cat, stretching languidly in the warmth of the late morning sun solidifying his comfort, glazed eyes gazing out the window at the passing fuzzy shapes. The car seemed to barely move, so steady as if floating on an air cushion amongst a cloud of relentless humming bees. _She would never have a chance against my baby, but this car kind of feels nice_.

Rain turned her head slightly, a content smile crossing her face at the sight of Dante slumped against the window, a small patch of condensation at his open mouth. Open but quiet. She would have thought she would be happy his mouth was shut for a while but it wasn't so. Silently, her longing for a pointless, harmlessly quarrelsome and fun conversation started to grow into a permanent ache in her heart. She didn't know what scared her more; his unorthodox ways that made her behave so adrift, or the fact she started to like it. Bitterly welcoming the silence, she willed herself to empty her mind by a blank gaze at the endlessly stretching road.

Chasing a mouse lookalike she-demon who had stolen the last piece of cheese from his morning pizza, Dante took a sharp left, noting gratefully the devil foolishly grabbed the topping using its tail to free its hands. Big mistake. The cheese-less pizza still in his hand, he was about to leap dashingly, with his supercharged red devil whip and snatch his prize back victoriously from the twisting appendage, when a sudden tag on his shoulder yanked him harshly to the ground.

Dozy, his eyes flickered to search for his attacker, the mouse getting rapidly away. "Dante!" Came from the whiteness that started to eat at whatever was on the left. _The cheese, where is the darn cheese!_ "Hey, wake up. This road is going to end soon. Where do I go next?"

_No no no, not now! _Grappling blindly for his devil arm as the white oblivion swallowed all, Dante's orbs fluttered open, gazing at a gray cockpit of a spaceship and a painting of a very straight road. "But where is the cheese," he muttered out ruefully, rubbing his eyes as full consciousness swam in, jarring him to reality. _Shit. No cheese. _

Feeling her pending gaze, when she should have been watching the road, Dante deemed it best to answer her with his indispensable, least effort insight. "Yeah, just head down the next road that says south," he gave a jaw breaking yawn, turning to look out the window, noting how the scenery had changed dramatically since he had been last awake. The flat rectangular fields and small pockets of trees were replaced by lush rolling hills and thick forests, with the impressive mountain range much closer, proudly displaying its snow covered peaks.

"A road that says south?" she asked incredulously, doubt casting a shadow over her face. Was he kidding? Or was this just his way of being serious?

"That would be the one," the half-devil said breezily, sinking deeper into the seat as if he wanted to go back to sleep.

"Right then maybe since you seem to know where we are going, you can drive. I could do with the break."

Rain pulled over, grateful for the good timing as dark clouds gathered fast and the first drops of rain descended on the windscreen with a subtle clap. She hated the rain, driving or not. Ironic really, it was like hating herself. Rain couldn't help but shudder at that thought.

"Oh sure, now you want me to drive," he faked a tired sigh, a large smirk blooming on his face. He wanted to test this beauty of a beast ever since he saw it was a Porsche. He would turn this ugly duckling into a soaring eagle.

Switching places, Dante completely ignored the threatening storm, wandering eyes devouring all the toys now at his disposal as of course when driving he was the one in charge. His old, not built for comfort sports car only had the bare essentials, but this looked like the cockpit of a brand new spaceship! Such a sacrilege they packed it all into a 4 x 4!

Expecting a fast response he pressed hard on the steel-plated gas pedal. The tyres span heavily before catching a grip, propelling the car back onto the road with a high spray of loose gravel. Thrown hard into the seat, Rain quickly buckled up, her widened greens pinned to the mountains that at least didn't seem to be moving. _Oh God, I think I'm going to be sick._

Way too fast, the scenery turned two shades darker, the falling drops of water transforming into heavy downpour, rolling down in waves across the road. The sudden change in weather had no effect on Dante or his driving as he bombed it down on another road signposted south, devilish smile hanging on his cheery face.

"Hey, what have you pumped the tank with, adrenalin? This actually drives like a sports-car!" He shot a bright glance to Rain, only to be greeted by a torpid, stony face. Enjoyment switched to concern as he hadn't remembered seeing that look on her; it had so far been more of a scorning gaze or a disbelieving one, but not one dominated by plain, elementary terror. Was it his expert driving?

"No, just diesel," she said lifelessly, looking ahead as her mouth closed into a straight grim line.

Letting a few moments pass till the silence became breakable, Dante shifted slightly in his seat, throwing over the purr of the engine, "Hey, for a girl, you don't talk awful lot about yourself."

"Maybe I have nothing to talk about," she retorted curtly, her body language closing her off even more.

Stricken by her terse response, Dante gave a non-committal shrug unsure of what to say. Instead he slowed down, thinking the speed was making her sick, now that the road wound its way like a snake up the high mountain pass. He opened the side window a little, drawing in the air filled with fresh rain and the enhanced scent of pines washed from all the dust caused by the previous dry spell. Glancing to his left to comment on the beautiful colours as the storm began to ease off the higher they climbed, Dante found his companion embedded even deeper into the seat, eyes closed stern and unmoving.

_What's wrong with her? _And he was trying his best to be as smooth as possible when he had the urge to test this beast to its limits.

"I hate to say it but I don't think I can go any slower," Dante hinted quietly, making sure that she could hear the genuine worry in his voice.

"Sorry, I…I just don't like the rain," she stammered softly, realizing how her reaction must have appeared to him. She opened her eyes warily, straightening up in the seat with an attempted casual yawn seeing the cloudburst has stopped.

Half relieved and half stunned by her explanation, Dante burst into laughter, not knowing how to react. "You are afraid of the rain? Yeah. That's a good one!"

"Stop! Please stop!" Brakes got slammed and Dante pulled over at the sudden urgency of her voice. He thought to ask if it was something he said when he saw her stumble out of the car and empty her stomach onto the mossy green carpet of the forest. Rain shifted her frowning gaze nervously towards Dante, gesturing towards a storage compartment in the car. Catching her pleading look, his reactive grin vanished instantly, "Dude, you _are_ serious."

He fished out a bottle of water from where she was pointing and carefully handed her the bottle, unscrewing the top first.

"I 'm not afraid of it, I just don't like it, OK?" Rain revealed, then added admittedly, "And yes, I know how stupid it sounds." She sank back into her seat, emerald eyes wandering away from him and anywhere away from the last drops of the falling rain.

Dante, lost as to what to say and not being one to offer comfort easily, did the only thing he knew by offering a joke instead, "So, I take it, you are not from anywhere with long rainy seasons?"

Rain gazed in front of her for a moment, all the vivid colours of the forest dancing in front of her, bleeding into a smudged palette of green. _How often did it use to rain?_

"Where I grew up the monsoon season hit in the summer. But, I didn't mind it then," she said suddenly, in a low, reminiscing tone.

_Hmmm, so she isn't from hell after all..._ Dante thought smugly, although he still kept that as one of the possible places she had been. In sync with his thoughts straying to the place they were going to it turned darker again as they approached the highest point of the assent. Visibility decreased steadily, at first with random foggy patches suspended lightly in the air like ghosts gliding through the forest, later thickening into clouds that became impaled on the mountain tops, frozen under the glacial dome of the eternal blue sky. The visibility was nearly zero now, and even the strong yellow cones of the headlights could not penetrate the creeping milky substance.

"You are not afraid of the fog too, are you?" he asked with a bit of a concern rather than mockery, not knowing what other surprises may lay ahead. He didn't like nasty little surprises coming from his supposed friends or allies, or brothers… Anything else, he could handle.

"No," she rolled her eyes. "But I'm not happy about it either. It will spoil the view," she added with a soft sigh. It was things like that that she still liked to enjoy, small pleasures in life like a wondrous, enchanting view, when it wasn't raining. Why were there so few?

"Ok, just checking," Dante let out a small smile, speeding up again into the milky way, making fast progress through the ghastly fog as if it was just a light morning mist. He started to whistle a fast tune, tapping his fingers on top of the steering wheel, other hand resting on his red clad thigh, relying on his demonic vision and senses to navigate through the gloom.

Rain shook her head, wondering how he could see anything. She realised that she knew so little about him, except that he was a demon hunter that could shoot things in the most amazing ways and that he lived alone, as far as she could tell, in his strange big office. And, of course that he was completely different from anyone she had ever known, but this was also feeding something about him she could not quite place. There was this cockiness and care free attitude but she felt it was masking something darker underneath.

Yet still, she knew him for only a very short time, and there was a possibility that she was just imagining things. Besides, his past was not something she needed to worry about as now that they might actually put an end to her troubles, she would just get on with her life and might never see him again. Her life. What would it be like? What would she do? She speculated, nearly missing the fact that they had reached the pass and began their descent in the direction of the peninsula. The pea soup shortly gave way to the foggy patches, and even those gradually vanished the lower they went, allowing the view below to reveal itself in its full glory.

Rain gasped at the scenery. The space between the mountain range and the sea was filled by countless conical shaped hills of various sizes, as if giant moles had been busy there thousands of years ago, giving the 'molehills' time to cover themselves with a carpets of lush green grass. A wide strip of white, sun reflecting sand dunes fringed the vast bumpy valley, its edges constantly washed by the clear blue waves of the relentless sea. The large peninsula extended out into the water in a shape of a tear, with an impressive medieval castle perching on top of a rocky cliff at the far end, creating an illusion of a beautiful precious stone pendant, the sand dunes its shimmering silver chain.

"Wow, I didn't expect the view to be so….breathtaking," she managed to say, leaning forward with her mouth agape.

"Yeah, real shame I don't have a camera. Well at least I have a feeling that once we get down there, we can have a party," the half-demon assured his companion wryly.

"You seem to associate killing demons with a party time. Either you are completely insane, or you are just trying to show off," the young woman stated simply, her mind still fully on the view below.

"Hey, I saw _you_ fighting, and don't tell me that you didn't enjoy it at least a little," he thought for a second, "You had this satisfied look when the demons piled up on top of each other after you sliced the portal."

"What are you ta…," she paused abruptly, wincing at the possibility of him being right. Had it been so long she was beginning to forget her heritage? This was not what she was brought up like and this response would have not gone down well with her family.

"Don't worry babe, your secret is safe with me," Dante winked at her, smoothly running his hand through his hair. "If you have to do something you might as well enjoy it."

"Babe again?" She shot him an exasperated glare.

"Ok, ok, sorry, bad habit. Jeez, you're so touchy," he complained, shaking his head, but the smirk remained.

Rain said no more, afraid to note she was not so sure anymore. Was Dante right? She could not forget who she was, what she stood for, otherwise why would staying alive matter? Bleakly looking out of the window, her hand rose to her heart as a reminder of the blood that coursed through her veins.

Too soon, surprisingly they approached a little village squeezed amongst the cones of green. Feeling a sudden pang of nervousness in her stomach from everything to come, Rain turned to Dante with an urging request, "Dante, can you stop at this petrol station please?"

"Sure b…, Rain. I could do with a break myself," with that said, he pulled over in front of one of the two pumps, out of habit checking the site for anything out of the norm before opening the door. Something seemed a little off. The heat of the sun hitting his face, the sound of crickets stopped as soon as he stepped out of the car, confirming his suspicions.

Quietly lifting the hose, Dante watched with sharpened senses as Rain wandered into the small, dark, dusty shop. Trying to penetrate the dirty windows with his demonic gaze, he could not help this dreadful tension that enveloped his insides like a peel of a watermelon.

With a start at the sudden synchronous return of the crickets, Dante retracted his vision from the dusky shop and focused on Rain as she left the place in a hurry with something in her hands. Eyes slanted to see better through the distorting fumes, Dante's gaze discerned a garbage can dangling from a large key she was holding. Sensing her urgency as she strode across the parking lot to a small wooden hut, Dante witnessed her fighting with the lock to get inside.

Paying her full attention now, Dante's sight never left her as she finally kicked her way inside, garbage can flying out of the door. Scratching his nose with absent interest as he finished refuelling, the feeling of a full bladder suddenly occupied his thoughts. _There is no way I am going in there_, he made it clear to his bladder, widening eyes not knowing whether to laugh or weep seeing Rain tiptoe gingerly out of the rickety dirty hut, face scrunched up in disgust before legging it back to the office like a wind on fire. Eyebrow rising, Dante sneaked behind the car with a low whistle and sauntered to the bushes out of the view.

Relief adorned him as he sat back in the driver's seat just as Rain returned and jumped in, holding an upset face as she threw what she had into her lap and wiped her hand with a germ killing napkin vigorously. "Ugh! The toilet was disgusting. I am positive something lived on the floor! If you need to go, I would recommend the bushes." She handed Dante a sandwich and some crisps matter-of-factly after pushing the used napkin into the ashtray.

He picked the items up with two fingers and lifted them up to his nose, staring at the food unsure of what to trust less; the dubious shop that didn't look like it should have any food, or the place her hands had just been. Sniffing the squashed sandwich that looked encouragingly like a pizza Dante shrugged, and opening the food scoffed it down in less than ten seconds. It didn't have pepperoni, but the pongy cheese made up for the lack of certain kick. Well, at least it should not be able to kill him, for too long, he hoped.

Her face changing to expressionless, Rain unwrapped her own food slowly, taking her time to eat, whether from enjoyment or the opposite, Dante couldn't tell. He simply brought the engine to life and took the car back onto the road. Silence wrapped around Rain's quiet munch on her salad sandwich as she watched with a numb mind as the dusty asphalt disappeared under the cheerful colour of the metallic blue bonnet.

If only her passive thoughts were as bright, she thought, seeing dull dust replace the shimmering blackness of the road, matching her turning mood. Soon all that remained was a dirt track blending into the gentle waves of the surrounding sand dunes, causing the car to rise and fall like a small fishing boat in the sea. Suddenly it occurred to her how glad she was Dante was driving, surprisingly well and safe on these treacherous roads.

The calming atmosphere did not last though as the track ended abruptly with an unwelcoming sign - 'Private property, trespassers will be prosecuted' – marking a rocky path leading downward through shady swaying pines.

Dante slowed down, turning the car to park under the shadowy cover of a bushy pine, the deep azure of the sea bleeding in through the soft needles. The air was simply divine as they got out of the car, Rain slowly drawing in the intoxicating freshness of the sea and trees, before grabbing her weapons bag from under the back seat. She could tell Dante thinking the same as he fetched his double-edged sword from the boot, throwing her the car keys, silently pausing to take in the last moments of the wonderful scents and tranquillity.

With a last breath of fortifying determination, Rain slotted both her katanas through the obi that she pulled out of her bag, glancing at Dante that she was ready, only unsure of what they would find.

"Don't worry, they will be there," he assured her, already picking up strong demon presence in the air. He sensed something else as well, an unnerving dark familiarity, yet very distant and faint. It was times like these when he wished he was alone. Even Lady gladly left jobs like this to him, and sensibly so.

He stole a side glance to the eager girl, already starting to head down the steep rocky path, barely visible due to years of wild growth. Dante knew she would most certainly be unwilling to stay by the car and wait should he even tried to ask.

"We should find an entrance down below to attract less attention," Dante quickly conveyed to Rain, glad to get a pause from her and a turn of her head in acknowledgement. At least she was listening. He caught up swiftly and took the lead. They moved down stealthily along the path until they reached a small white cliff. The castle was perched on top of another much larger greyer cliff in front of them, right across a wild stream carving into a deep, narrow ravine.

Surveying the layout with narrowed searching eyes, Dante spotted a barely discernible cave opening at the base of the large rock, partially covered by trees and weeds.

"Look, the main entrance," Rain said quietly, Dante's gaze snapping to where she pointed at, some height above the cave.

"No. We use the one down there," he whispered, his ice-blue eyes zoning on the main gate that did not appear to be guarded at all. Wrong. The cliff could have sunk under the weight of all the demons lurking there if it wasn't made of solid stone.

She looked at him in disbelief. "I can't see anything." Shaking her head, she took after him as he began to move without a further word. She thought it best to trust him, remembering when he drove through that thick fog like it was a clear day. Perhaps his eyes had been somehow enhanced?

Only certain animals and demons had a vision that reached beyond that of humans but she felt no such scent from him. She had the gift from years of training to smell a demon from yards away, but Dante was right next to her and all she smelt was gentle strawberry mixed with indescribably manly scent. All that said, if he did see something, just as well, as the main gate was out of the question, and no doubt a trap for any who were less suspecting. As a cold shiver crossed her spine, she became much aware of being glad she was not here alone.

Surrounded by her thoughts as she climbed down, Rain came to a halt when half way down Dante simply jumped, landing gracefully on the uneven ground below. An inquisitive look crossed her face when her foot slipped on a loose rock, a spray of stones falling down together with her. Falling towards an amused face, she was caught in his arms, the avalanche of debris missing him entirely.

"Well, well, what do you know? Not a cloud in the sky and Rain is falling!"

"Put me down", she protested, freezing in his strong embrace. This was no time for fun and games, she thought peevishly with her own tensed up nerves. Ever since the night before she had not felt herself, as if a long lasting routine had been broken up to pieces and each piece grew into something new and inexplicable.

"The last time I heard that I got shot in the head," he mused, dropping Rain down to her feet. When she gave him a puzzled look, he dismissed, "Never mind, it just reminded me of someone."

Letting the incident pass, they began to sneak across the unbridled mossy ravine, using the scattered sharp rocks and countless thickets as cover. The area below the large cliff was left completely unattended to their relief, but on the other hand it was clear why as the terrain proved hazardous and difficult, making any progress frustratingly slow. It took a great deal of precise manoeuvring, but they finally arrived at the opening mostly concealed in the smooth face of the stone.

Her puzzlement at how he could have seen it was left behind as Rain took in the sheer blackness gaping beyond the secret entrance, heartbeat speeding up at the imminence of the possible events ahead.

Stepping inside the dingy tunnel, the outside light kept losing its dominance fast until all turned to pitch black. Rain stretched out her arm trying to grope her way ahead, other hand resting on one scabbard, thumb clamped tightly to its guard. Lost in the murky black, she felt a warm strawberry scented strength wrapping around her hand, pulling her inside. Grateful for the umpteenth time for not being alone as she stumbled over rocks, roots and uneven ground she finally felt a step, the hand now pulling her up some uneven hard stairs, up and up, then straight through a place smelling of damp and old moss, and then, there was a faint glow up ahead.

It was all she needed to know for certain that he couldn't be human. Right then, it didn't matter. He was there doing nothing except guiding her and making her feel safe when she would have felt fear the most. The smell of strong earthy dampness, mixing with that of blood. The horror of not knowing why someone wanted her dead. The dark, black space of the unknown, illuminated only by a dangling stained light of an enormous prison chamber built into a deep ominous cave.

The hand let go. Fear returning, Rain kept moving almost as if she wasn't there, numbly placing one foot in front of the other, her mind leaving her body as she stepped into the giant cavern, the smells of mossy damp and sound of dripping water taking her into her past…

"Hey, whatever this is, snap out of it." She heard a clear voice and suddenly her eyes saw bars in front of her, reflecting the light from small scattered lanterns, eerie shadows dancing on the walls.

"This is… I just, I'm just a bit tense I guess," she whispered, trying to pull herself together. _This is no time to get scared. Stay in the present you stupid girl._

"I find that hard to believe. Come on, we are near the castle grounds now," Dante stood with his legs apart, battle ready and alert, appearing relaxed on the outside, his ice blue orbs accentuated by the ghostly dim light penetrating her darkened greens.

"I'm fine. Let's go," she brushed past him, moving across the room, the image of his unique, almost animalistic orbs burning in her mind. _Inhuman_.

Dante sighed and took off after her, the worrying feeling he had outside getting very strong, griping his guts in a tight vice. _What a creepy place, _he thought examining the circle of cells split up by narrow corridors in a star like arrangement. At the foot of one side a steep staircase lead to a heavy steel door near the ceiling of the cave_._

Nearing one of the cells to peek inside, they both clamped their hands around their mouth and nose at the stench of rotting flesh and decaying bones. Unable to move away, not believing those infernal cages could be actually still used, an inescapable impulse of mounting fear caused Rain to walk alongside the bars, hand lingering on her face in dismay. Dead bodies came to her view, in varying stages of decomposition, some looked human, other demon, most unrecognizable, some on the floor, some still chained to the wall.

Bones dangled from rusting shackles, shards of bones, sand and black ashes lay scattered on the dirty floors. Splatters of blood in ghastly patterns of red or black, mixed with brown condensation on the dark stone walls. If it wasn't for the sheer horror of the scenery, it all could almost be considered as some twisted works of art.

"What is this? Some kind of a medieval torture chamber preserved till today's age?" she murmured, completely bewildered and awed.

Not being all that new to this kind of a scene, Dante stood there with an air of ease, guessing the strength of the steel door above. Rebellion should do the trick as gun shots would only attract unwanted bystanders.

The gruesome tour of the cages led her as if in a partial trance. Rain wandered absently into one of the less lit side wings of the prison. Her heart could beat for three as she saw some to be still alive. Demons. Shredded limbs, mortal wounds gaping and dried, some to bare bones. Shouldn't they be healing or turning to dust? What was going on? Throat twisting into a wooden screw, subconsciously she lifted her hand, trailing her fingers across the bars, eyes soaking in the terrible sadness of this heinous place. Who would do things like this? To use eternal suffering outside of Hell? Indisposed by flooding despair her vision blurred as images of her past mingled with those of the present, frightful familiarity of such suffering surfacing, brought on by the copper smell of pools of blood.

Startled at her fleeting mind, she thought she caught a whisper of a sound, barely perceived as silence fell encasing the lonely rhythm of the perpetually dripping water. Rain listened intently, beginning to think that it was her own imagining, a cry from the past. Yet the same sound came a second time - a grunt of a struggle to breathe through a bloodied throat or a gag. Another demon, slowly dying. Demons did not feel. They were dead inside anyway. She should ignore it and move on.

But her mind wouldn't let her, a nagging feeling telling her that it sounded more… Human.

Old and whitened human bones lay scattered amongst the horrible smell of death. Surely, no human could survive. Painful curiosity took hold of her in the form of a terrible dread as she stopped fully before flying past all the cages, thinking the sound had come right from the very end. The darkest end, only one inadequate torch shined a sickly pale light causing the condensation shimmer on the iron bars.

Slacking up, Rain reached the furthest cell, hands clasping around the cold, rough iron, her eyes sinking into the blackness that reigned inside. Her breath slowed right down as her eyes adjusted to the dark, discerning something pale, maybe even white.

Peering inside, enveloped by deafening silence as even the sound of water became dead to her ears, a sudden draggy movement caused her heart to clench. Then she forgot to breathe when two very pale blue eyes, very unique, animalistic eyes came to gaze at her from the chalky dark.

"Jeez Rain, what are you doing there? Those demons can't be helped and we have a job to do," a concerned voice echoed through the silence returning Rain's mind to clarity. Her breath returned like she was given back life, hands unpeeling from the prickly coldness of the bars.

"Dante, there is someone still alive and human," her voice hitched as her gaze turned back to the darkness in case what she had seen was now gone. Those eyes… She had seen them before, in the same dim light, only a few minutes ago. Inhuman eyes, not burning with life like Dante's, but filled with death.

"What are you talking about? There are no humans here," he gently shoved her aside, giving the cage a brief glance, before turning back to face her. "See? What did I tell…" Words freezing in his throat, he abruptly swung back and grabbed the bars so forcefully they started to bend.

Rain watched him stark still for what felt like hours when he uttered one simple word. "Vergil."

Closing his eyes Dante prayed that when he opened them again the apparition before him would be gone. But it wasn't. _No, this can't be! _The smell and something else in the air played tricks on him. _This is not real, he is dead!_ There was no way he was here, in the filthiest and most demeaning of places he had seen, not to mention that he was dead.

Deep anger cast dark shadows on his handsome face as Dante whipped Rebellion from his back and in a blur the solid lock instantly disintegrated into small metal pieces under the immense force of the blow. The freed door swung inside the dark with an unnerving creak. His blade already tucked away Dante warily stepped in, for the first time feeling his heart thumping like it was going to burst. If this was some kind of a joke he would personally level this place regardless of the consequences. But he knew that this wasn't a trick and that _he_ was real. _He_ was the feeling that puzzled and teased him as soon as they had arrived.

Now Dante knew why he hadn't been able to place that familiar energy. Vergil lay slouched against the damp wall in pools of blood from unhealed wounds. Whoever had imprisoned him had done something to taint his demon essence, altered the signature Dante would have otherwise recognized anywhere.

He didn't know whether Vergil's presence alone or the way he had found him, made rage surge from the depths of his guts to the tips of his fingers. Treated like a rabid dog, Vergil's hands stretched up in shackles held by chains suspended from the wall. His head hang lifelessly as murky liquid slowly dripped over matted dirty hair and across a ghostly face. Faded black tattered slacks barely clung to his painfully gaunt stomach, torso resembling a faded map, he was covered with a sea of deep stab wounds and lacerations in between pools of purple green bruising.

Mind struggling to find an explanation, he felt a presence quietly approach from behind, brushing past him and kneeling down. Taking out one of her remedies, carefully Rain injected the green ambrosia into the thin thigh of the pale form lying on the wet stone floor. Slowly, she cupped his chin and drew it up, but the eyes she had seen were now shut. "This is your…"

"Brother. Twin brother," Dante interjected, voice sharp and clear. "We have to get him out of here."

Rain looked up deep into Dante's eyes. She knew very well that if they were to help his brother they could no longer investigate the portals. Unfortunately, there wasn't a choice. Getting up, she stepped aside, slotting the empty syringe back in her belt. "Then let's go. Someone could be here any moment."

Rebellion cut once more with tremendous precision just above Vergil's wrists, shattering the chains and the shackles at the same time. Before his body could fully slide down to the disgusting ground Dante sheathed his broadsword and plunged down to drape Vergil over his shoulder. Straightening up carefully, he didn't waste any time stepping outside the cell and turning the corner when a feeble hand barely managed to lift itself up and seemed to want to reach something before falling.

Reluctant to pause yet drawn, Rain quickly glanced in the direction the hand tried to point to. Unease replaced amazement as she stared in awe at an object hanging on the opposite wall. An o-katana, distinctly longer than her own swords, was almost lost amongst the dirt of the blackened stones. She had not seen one for a very long time. Only her stepfather had worn one as they were owned solely by someone of a great stature, and height for that matter.

Picking up the long curved sword in haste yet with due respect, Rain spun on her heels to leave when she spotted a soiled cloth discarded in the corner. Thinking she could wrap the o-katana in the cloth as the scabbard was splattered by blood and dirt she picked it up, observing it was a blue coat of some sorts as it unrolled. Still she bundled up the sword in the coat and ran after Dante.

Rain caught up with him at the exit from the large dungeon room when a loud creak made them both turn their heads. A tall dark figure stepped out of the steel door above them, pausing mid stride upon seeing them.

Tension rose as no one moved for several long moments and even the sound of the dripping water seemed to have ceased when Dante suddenly hissed, "Run!"

Time seemed to accelerate as they took off to get out of the castle grounds. Walls zipping by, Dante grabbed Rain's hand to lead her out of the pitch black cave. The outside light almost blinded them as they ran out fast, but there was no time to stop, eerie demonic shrieks now piercing the air from all sides.

Making a mad dash across the ravine, Rain spared a brief look at Dante's distancing back, pulling in all her remaining strength to keep up. Browns and greens mixed together in her vision as she made it to the small crumbling cliff with depleted breath. Dante already waited with his hand outstretched.

A brief eye contact let him know she knew he could simply throw her to the top. When he did so, a split second later the air moved as Dante landed on his feet next to her with a soft thump, his brother dangling from his shoulder.

He looked down at her for a short while knowing what she wanted to know. "Rain, I'm a…"

"I know. Let's leave it till we get out of here," she hurried to say when a bullet just missed her ear and would have lodged itself into Dante's skull if he hadn't tilted in time. Across the grassy hill above the cliff and through the trees, the same black clad figure from the castle now stood on a ragged rock by the path leading to the front entrance.

The man, if it was a man, was quite some distance away yet his shot had been pretty darn accurate. He stood there, his hand now relaxed by his side, regarding a large herd of demons closing in on his prey. Dante couldn't make out his face at that distance but he was sure it was twisted in maniacal glee.

The two started up the path when a sizable horde of reptilian demons, sinisterly clutching rather large spears, blocked their escape. Normally welcoming this situation, with the precious cargo on his shoulder Dante was not planning to stay long. All he could think about was a second chance, at what he wasn't sure, but he wasn't going to lose the opportunity to find out.

Whipping round he gripped Rebellion while tossing Ivory at Rain and un-holstering Ebony as he finished his spin. Dealing with any early arrivals with his blade, Dante started to make a sieve out of the row of demons standing further ahead, shouting over his shoulder, "Shoot anything behind you that tries to get close."

Caught off guard, Rain nearly dropped the gun, shooting a hole in the ground right next to her foot trying to regain the correct grip. The recoil threw her off instantly, leaving her amazed and shocked on the ground. The single shot caused Dante to glance at her in between carving holes into demon heads, perplexed that she used it only once. It's not like his babies would run out of bullets. "What's wrong, why aren't you shooting?" He called over the din of the fight.

"I…I don't know how," Rain responded getting to her feet, glancing around to check the advancing foes.

"Just point and pull the goddamn trigger. Easy!" He couldn't believe she would balk now after what he had seen her do. Anyone like that should be able to shoot.

There was a swishing sound followed by a number of mighty spears embedding themselves at all sorts of angles into the ground around them, two of them right between Rain's thighs. That triggered her into action and she started to haphazardly jog up the path while wildly shooting at anything and everything that moved.

"The point is to hit the enemy, not the scenery," Dante yelled in genuine desperation. He needed her to cover his back and her inability to shoot wasn't helping.

"I've never used a gun!" Rain shouted succinctly, about to throw the gun back at him, at the last moment pulling the trigger to shoot a demon that turned up behind Dante square in the eyes.

"See? You can shoot after all," Dante showed a smile as he dusted off his trench and planted several new holes into a dozen of fiends from his smouldering gun, moving swiftly on.

"Still, I prefer swords" Rain mumbled and tucked Ivory behind her obi. One hand holding the o-katana wrapped in the dirty blue coat, her other unsheathed her katana which easily deflected the incoming spears while Rain followed closely behind. Working like this, they would soon reach the car and get away.

At the top of the path however, completely surrounded, they both knew that the remaining demons were not about to let them pass without a tough fight. Holstering Ebony, ready for a close combat, Dante took a second to size the group and sense their intent. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, they were after him and not the girl. Interesting to see what mattered to those bastards more.

A battle growl of anger escaped him as Rebellion came to life, cleaving through flesh and bones. Eyes wide as sprays of green blood and body parts flew past her in all directions, Rain could not help but admire the harmony and style of his skill. Dante appeared as if he was dancing, his sword an able partner, all the while managing to keep Vergil out of harm and firmly on his shoulder.

While deflecting the incoming spears, she took the odd second to appreciate his moves, scolding herself when two demons managed to claw at her arm. Spinning with her sword too late, they ripped through her jacket and pierced her skin.

Scowling, she thrust forth and returned the blade upwards slicing one of the lizards through its torso and chopping off its head. The second one grabbed her shoulder digging its claws in but she twisted round and with the full force of her body cut the demon into two halves without even knocking it over. The demons began to dissolve into slimy lacertian goo, Rain fast unhooking the claws from her shoulder, twisting her face in disgust.

The path suddenly cleared of the closest foes, Dante took off towards the car not needing to tell Rain to do the same before reinforcements arrived. Running like Hell through the green sludge, Rain readied her keys and unlocked the boot, throwing the keys at Dante in full sprint.

Just as the trunk door lifted up, Rain slammed into the rear bumper, noticeably out of breath. "Put him…in the back," she yelled, quickly grabbing her massive suitcase and dragging it out of the car.

Dante came to a halt, amazement registering in his deep blue eyes. Now that's what he didn't expect a woman to do, throwing her things away, voluntarily. Grateful he didn't need to ask her to clear the boot, he lowered Vergil down onto the waterproof mat, then safely slotted in his sword. He glanced back at Rain, amazement becoming a shocking discovery when she discarded the oversized luggage, pulling out a neat and small bag.

Shrugging at his wounded and astonished look, Rain made haste to get back in the car, seating her bag easily behind her seat. "We'll talk about this later," Date slammed the trunk shut, and giving a glance at the rapidly advancing demons he jumped in the car.

A second later clouds of dust burst out from underneath the spinning tyres, with the roar of an engine drowning the murderous shrieks of the closing in reptilian horde. Neither of them dared to look back as Dante kept shifting the gears, breaking the speed limit on the bumpy dirt track. Completely grateful they were in an off-roader, Dante set eyes in the rear view mirror to check Vergil was safe and secure, pretty well wedged into the tight boot space.

Eyes staring ahead, Rain did not even feel the pain from the claws as adrenalin pumped through her veins. "That was close, too close," she sighed, finally able to let out a deep calming breath.

They were not pursued as the car veered back onto the asphalt road, the rear skidding briefly due to the crazy speed. The next hour or so was spent in silence, only the calm sound of the engine was lessening the built up tenseness.

"Sorry the trip was not worth it. I mean for you," Dante was first to break the quiet, glancing at his twin before setting his gaze on Rain.

"It was worth it. You got your brother back. That's more important than the stupid portals. They can wait," she looked away and out of the window. She knew they couldn't go back again as her pursuers would most likely move their operation somewhere else. Perhaps they would give up now or would it get worse? Quite likely the latter.

"How is your arm?" Dante asked sympathetically. He escaped with only a few scratches which were now completely healed but he knew the pain that Rain must have been in from those deep gashes on her arm. It was still a bit unnerving to him that she never gave off any signs of pain, that wasn't normal to his mind. She hadn't even used her medicine this time to speed up the healing. _So much for it being worth it_, Dante thought glumly steeling a glance at her stern and distressed face.

"I'll live. But would you mind if I tried to sleep for a bit?" She felt completely shattered. The anticipation on the way there, the embarrassment when it rained, the horrors in the dungeons, the frantic escape, and the settling in disappointment no matter how happy she felt for Dante were all too much to bear in one day.

"You go ahead, I got this covered," he shot her a faint smile. Dante was partially relieved as he had some thinking to do of his own. Like what the hell had happened to his twin and what was he doing there? And most importantly what was going to happen when he wakes up, if he wakes up? After all, it had been only five years since Vergil had gone all psycho, destroying a whole city to erect an evil tower to open the mother of all portals, before jumping to Hell only to get himself killed.

There was no way he wanted to go through that ordeal again, especially the part where he fooled his heart into accepting the fact that killing his own twin had been the only way out. But Vergil was still his family and he couldn't have left him there. Maybe he could send him a bill for saving his ass later if it had turned out to have been a bad idea.

He just hoped it hadn't.


	4. No Time To Be Squeamish

_A/N: Sorry about the big delay writing this. Life has not been sympathetic. Hope you still enjoy! Tora._

**CH4 – ****No time to be squeamish**

Blackness seeped through every crevice of her vision, a few flashes of sickly light penetrating from something she couldn't see or hear. There was only the sound of dripping water in sync with the sweat trickling from her forehead that felt like burning oil. Fear ignited inside of her, moving towards her heart as she could not turn yet felt horrific presence behind her about to strike again and again. Her skin already blackened and unfeeling, there was no pain, only mounting fear filling up the cave with pools of blood that did not belong to her, higher and higher until she could not breathe.

A loud shuddering slam resonated all around her and the suffocating darkness crumbled away, feeling like a reviving reprieve. A flicker of light brought a flash of brightness, opening up to a pair of welcoming sparkling blue eyes, the smell of fresh bakery easing her shaken mind.

Body finally waking from the state of dreaming, her half lidded eyes slid down from the pleasing blue, grateful for the tantalizing scent that suddenly made her senses come to life with hunger.

"Hey, you're awake. Want some pizza? I had to stop seeing my favourite shop." The mouth below the bright blue orbs was about to eat a slice but instead offered the piece to Rain.

About to accept eagerly, her sight fell on the slice oozing with grease no longer hovering above the carton box but above the gear box, a droplet of gleaming fat about to abandon ship.

"No! Put it back!" Rain called out, bolting upright as the full picture of present filled her senses. Hesitant as she took in the state of her beloved car, the thought of her nonsensical request seeped in but it was too late.

Dante shrugged and moved the slice back to his mouth, eating the last piece in three large bites. She quickly pushed the door open, needing some fresh air as her stomach rumbled disappointedly. Rain got out of the car, then paused, turning to Dante. "I am going to check on your brother," she announced softly, welcoming the noise of the city which always helped to drown the echoes of the disturbing sounds from her dreams.

As she opened the boot, Rain passed a glance at the darkening sky. A faint orange and yellow glow reflected on the distant clouds, announcing the presence of the setting sun. It was quite beautiful.

Reluctantly, she let the rare painting of the sky go and looked away, her eyes gliding to a blanket Dante must have found in the car. Slowly she pulled the soft cloth away, noting the man they had found was still out. Her face scrunched up silently at the sight of the unhealed signs of torture. She had seen such atrocities in abundance a long ago and never hoped to witness them again. Her frown deepened, guiding her memory to times she didn't wish to visit. _How could one do such a thing and not call themselves a demon?_

Shaking her head, Rain focused on the lifeless man below her. Her finger scooped away dirty hair from closed eyes, revealing a face besieged by rivers of bruising which she recognized as internal bleeding. His cells were breaking up right as she watched his strangely frozen features. Was this face meant to be similar to Dante's? This is what those toxins do. They fill a face with haunted and pained creases, with an abundance of horrific unearthly colours. Even a twin could not recognize his own mirror.

_But where did they get this poison_? _And who?_ Rain asked torn inside as she pulled up the warm blanket with a pang of guilt setting in her stomach. She strolled around flopping down into the front seat with a joyless sigh. "We need to stop at my place. I am certain I have an antidote to the poison. For demons." _Dear God, don't let it be what I know it is._ L_et's just pray the cure works the same on half demons. _She bit her tongue, chaotic mind trying not to draw conclusions so fast. She had to be sure.

"Poison. For demons," Dante murmured grimly, concerned face turning to Rain. "Are you sure?" He knew this had to be bad news after seeing what it did to those lost souls in that horrible place. Someone was really playing mean this time. Bastards. So what was new? Still, he had never seen anything like it. Suddenly he lost his appetite, wondering if he could keep the last bit of pizza in his stomach.

"I am sure. I mean, I don't know as I am not sure about half demons," Rain answered evasively, averting her eyes. Suddenly she felt an even greater fear than in her bad dreams. A fear of losing the strangely blooming chance at having a friend and a confidant, now so fragile.

"Um, about that. When did you know?" Dante said softly, eyes set on his hand that gripped the arch of the steering wheel somewhat too tight. His hand turned briefly black with jutting spikes, extending claws wrapping around the soft leather, mouth drawn into a painful line.

"For sure?" Rain paused, grateful that he hadn't probed more into her knowledge of the poison. No doubt he'd do so later. "When you pulled me through the dark," she thought out loud with honesty, her greens pausing on his fingers tightening around the leather as pulsing red energy transformed them back to human. "Why didn't you just tell me?" She asked quietly though she somewhat knew already.

"'Cause, I might get shot." His lips rose to a thin smile. "And it's really annoying." He smirked.

Rain handed him Ivory with a faint smile of her own. "Then I suppose you would welcome this back?"

Getting the meaning of her kind gesture, Dante laughed and took the gun, giving her a deep look from under the white tufty hair. "Sorry if I was harsh back there. I shouldn't have been," his voice held a sincere and remorseful tone.

When she just shook her head, Dante remained silent peering at the steadiness shining in her eyes. No one would go on to help him without hesitation learning that he was a half-monster, while abandoning their own hope for resolution. Good grief, she hadn't even tried to judge him or dismiss him for what he was. Thinking it too much to apologize and thank her at the same time, Dante did the only thing he knew to lighten up the gloomy mood. "Now seriously. You don't know how to use a gun?" He cracked a friendly grin.

The blonde shook her head again, a smile flashing on her lips. "Call it a tradition, but it wasn't considered honourable where I grew up. Plus we never had any guns."

"Oh great, not another honour freak." Dante added a chuckle to an eye roll, happy he was able to gain a moment of diversion from the unravelling turmoil in his head. He had to blank his mind and decided to take it all from the beginning. No dead brothers coming to life and dying again, no women who knew way too much in all matters connected. One thing at a time. Nice and easy.

Her raised eyebrow nudged him to clarify and he jabbed his thumb towards the rear. "He can sure use them but he doesn't like guns either. I don't see why. Dead is dead no matter what toy you use, right?"

"You might be right…," her voice drifted off as she recalled what it was about the close contact with one's sword. How its singing energy gave feedback to the restless senses with every single move and turn. How every slice felt like it was her fingertip touching the skin and cutting it open. How it responded to every whim and desire. As if it was part of self. Could one feel the hit of a bullet once it left the barrel? Or the blood of an enemy that soon travelled onto one's hand? W_as it all about honour?_ His "of course I'm right" bounced off the walls in the enclosed space of the car.

"So let's get rolling." Dante turned on the engine and Rain swiftly buckled het seatbelt, determined to focus on her new mission. No more victims of a past that shouldn't even exist.

Eyes set hard on the road, she directed Dante to her house. By no accident, living in the north side of the green park where they had met, a posh and extravagant area of the city lined with opulent villas, Rain gained the privilege of seclusion and tolerance of things that may not have been otherwise considered normal.

Glad that no one would pay them attention as they drove up the narrow private driveway, Rain asked Dante to go through a wide automatic gate, then stop and wait while she jogged inside to fetch the necessary medicine and instruments. A minute later she returned with a small black case and Dante drove them to his office, parking the Cayenne in his garage as not to draw unnecessary attention to Vergil's unexpected return.

Deep in concentration Dante picked up his twin hurriedly but carefully, kicking each door open with his boot as he rushed his way upstairs to his bedroom. He laid Vergil on his own sheets, then hesitated, contemplating whether Vergil would appreciate his twin's scent as the first thing to wake up to. Picking his brother up, Dante scanned the room, mind wandering from the dirty sofa downstairs to the spare bedroom used as a dumping ground and most likely occupied by dust coated cobwebs and whatever lived in them. _This will have to do._ He lowered Vergil back down, thinking that the wretched stench his brother was reeking of would overpower anything anyway. Damn.

Mind sinking into a hazy storm, Dante stormed into the bathroom, returning with a soaking wet towel in his hand. He slowed as he knelt by the bed, taking in the thin crust of old blood mingling with new all over his brother's battered body, hesitance in his deeply glowing eyes as his hand gripped the towel into a fist.

His brother had been the only warrior to nearly defeat him, the only one more pig-headed and now the only family he had left, dying in his bed like a frail human weakened by a crippling long illness.

Anger rising, at himself, Vergil or at the world, Dante could not pick as he worked frantically yet with admirable precision and gentleness, never stopping until there would be no blood left, not a piece of dirt, not a single vile smell. It had always been him to wound his brother to stop him just long enough, knowing the physical wounds would seal again even if he couldn't fix the rest. He had seen his brother bleed many times before. But not like this. Not like a discarded, rotting piece of meat. Like a corpse being given enough life just to see itself disintegrate and turn to ashes. Whoever had done this? God have mercy, because only cowards would cause a magnificent wild beast to bleed out without a chance for a proper fight. Fucking cowards.

He felt a hand squeezing his shoulder and a distant low voice. "I need to confirm the poison in his blood."

His hand worked even harder as mind kept breaking into pieces. The darn blood just crept back again, more and more, like an unstoppable terminal cancer. "Dante?" He felt the hand gently shake his shoulder.

He stopped, and for a short moment he remained there unmoving before glancing to the side absently.

"I need to take a blood sample to confirm the poison…and I need him to be still." The voice gained in clarity and gentleness. "You were shaking him too much," Rain tried to explain seeing him blankly stare into the middle of the room.

Rubbing his face, Dante got up, running both hands through his hair. "I can't stop it," he said tonelessly.

"It's OK, _we_ will stop it," Rain assured him softly, preparing the syringe with a worried look at Dante's paling face. She could understand. The aftermaths of these experiments had used to leave her like a ghost every time, and they had all been just mindless, murderous demons.

Rain extracted the blood sample while steeling a glance at Dante sitting down in a wooden chair next to the bed. If only she was certain that Vergil would survive, she could give Dante a lot more reassuring words. Calmly but in growing restlessness Rain tested the blood for traces of the poison. If she was right, she had a chance at treating it, but if it was something else… Anxiously she waited for the results. The mixture turned black. _So you are the same toxin._

Gravely she gazed at Dante, loose strands of thoughts swarming in her head. She had witnessed the whole lot being destroyed! Together with all the research. This had been after her family had decided to discontinue its use based on ethical issues. Some members might have had protested, still embracing its ruthless power. _But they are all dead._ This was bad news but also a bad time for speculation. Right now, there was a life to be saved, for once.

She rolled Vergil to the side and after slightly pulling down his slacks, administered the antidote using even pressure to his rear as he was just too thin right now to stick it into his thigh.

"Now we wait," Rain said with borrowed confidence hoping this would bring Dante, and her, some as she saw he had only shifted his eyes to gaze out of the rapidly darkening window, she could not help but agree with his solemn mood.

"Yes, we are all in for a ride in hell tonight," Rain whispered knowing all too well the side-effects of the antidote. It had been always the same; strange and confused behaviour, severe muscle twitching, convulsions and sometimes vomiting. No doubt there was actually nothing for Vergil to vomit so that was out of the question at least.

It may not have seemed like a very good antidote if it did all that. But since the toxin was designed to slow down and in time completely destroy the regenerative properties of the demonic blood, the antidote had a big job reversing it. Invading each blood cell, the antidote turned brutal as it tore out the poison, leaving the barely remaining demonic essence to repair what was left.

Now all she could do was wait for the remedy to work its magic, or was it more like a curse? Rain gave it about an hour before the dreadful fun would start. Waiting around however would not do any good to her already shattering nerves. She had to find something she could do in the meantime to occupy her mind.

Leaving the small table lamp on in the bedroom so she could check on them both periodically, Rain tiptoed her way out to the corridor only to plunge into darkness again. Wondering what it would be like to have ademonic vision, she trailed her fingers across the wall in hope of finding a light switch.

Her hand could feel another door and a switch just next to the frame. Her luck was in as she discovered a small bathroom. Before going in though, she turned on the light and opened the door just enough to see in the corridor.

She gingerly climbed down the stairs, not wanting to disturb Dante in his temporary peace and headed back to the garage. The square room smelled strongly of oil but was surprisingly clean and clutter free. Rain spared an appreciative glance to his red hot car, wishing that next time she could maybe get Dante to take her somewhere nice and demon-free. _Yes, maybe in another life,_ she thought sombrely while picking up the almost unrecognizably blue coat and the blood stained o-katana from her car.

"Time for you to look nice for your master when he comes to." A wicked smile played across her face as she tried to imagine the pleasant surprise on Dante's brother's face. She knew well to expect the care and pride those who carried such weapons took in them. It was the least she could do to lower her guilt and focus her mind, before he would wake up.

"He _will_ wake up," she reassured the things in her hands, not really knowing why. It must have been the thought of someone else dying on her family's account not sitting too well with her. Staring at the bloodied coat, her eyes watched the crimson drops fall to the floor and splatter with the sound of a dripping tap.

Quickly shaking herself out of it, Rain refocused on the faint scent of a fresh detergent oozing out of a door just off the garage. She pushed the door ajar, noting a washing machine and a basket with some disturbing content smelling like two week old training socks. Ignoring that well settled smell for the moment to her best ability, she gave the supposedly blue coat further examination realising it soaked up more blood from the car mat as it had been left lying there after Dante had removed his brother. This meant manual scrubbing. She scowled and placed it aside, deciding to attend to the car first, knowing this would be one long night.

Focused on her task, half an hour later, the Cayenne sparkled again. Rain grabbed her cleaning kit, sword and coat, and walked back up the stairs and into the bathroom. She filled up the bath, soaking the garment in the lukewarm water. Tilting her head just a little, she let her hand play with the coat, mindlessly moving it back and forth, feeling the small ripples wash over her hand. _It would be so nice to have a bath right now._ Eyes widening, she withdrew her hand sharply, swirls of dark red menacingly dancing behind.

Rain pressed together her teeth in alarm, fishing out the trench and drained the dreadful water. This needed something more drastic. Something… Demonic. Rummaging in her little bag, she pulled out her own secret detergent, courtesy of her ancestors' passion for discovering all things practical in all things evil. She filled the bath once more and wrapped the coat around the small cube of hell's powder, dropping it in the clean water.

Mind easing again, she rested her chin on the palm of her hand, observing as the soap made in Hell unleashed its powers on the silky coat. A thin blank smile played across her face as she saw the snow-white bubbles annihilate and absorb the pesky red. Suddenly remembering her own blood and that green ooze still lingering around her nose, she slowly took off her own clothes par her black lace underwear that was still unspoilt.

Cleaning her clothes with a quiet hum, Rain stopped stern still when she heard muffled sounds followed by a barrage of very loud bangs. _Oh hell, is it that time already?_ In a frenzied hurry as her calm broke to pieces, she tossed her leather trousers to the floor and turning on her bare heels jogged fast to the bedroom where her heart skipped a beat at the scene.

The bedroom resembled a warzone. Bedding and pillows ripped and scattered on the floor, the wooden headboard splintered to pieces, an imprint of a head in the middle. Dante appeared unconscious hanging over a half broken toppled chair and the devil himself still miraculously on the bed was convulsing uncontrollably.

All reasoning thrown to the bin Rain leapt onto the bed and drew in a deep shuddering breath, pinning Vergil down as hard as she could under her knees and hands using her bodyweight to try and hold him down. The body was rejecting the antidote, trying its best to shake it off as each blood cell screamed and writhed under its brutal assault.

_That's why we stopped this_, Rain thought desperately, painfully remembering the demons left to die from unstoppable convulsions, believing the death to be slow and agonising, not to mention demeaning. She had been terribly ashamed to think that some of her family had even enjoyed such cruel spectacles and had wanted more.

Rain remembered to exhale again as suddenly the straining body underneath her let go of its tension and fell back to the bare mattress. This was just the beginning she thought disturbed, nearly gasping when the chair next to her creaked revealing the red clad half-devil's blinking eyes.

Suddenly aware of her position and a very noticeable lack of clothing, Rain considered whether she could flee before Dante regained full grip of the situation. It was not to be so. Red rose fast into her cheeks as the seemingly condemning blues fell on her fully, scanning the delicate lace brushing over Vergil's sweat glistening chest as she tried hard to breathe.

"It's n-not what it looks like…," Rain stammered not knowing why she felt so awkward when she hadn't done anything wrong. Seeing the stream of questioning looks coming from Dante, Rain couldn't take it anymore and speedily jumped off Vergil, grabbing the discarded bed sheet to cover herself up. "I was cleaning my clothes, and your brother started to convulse, so I had to come as I was, and now I am here, on him," she gritted her teeth at her ridiculous babbling. _Oh Lord, this couldn't get any more humiliating_.

Dante's freakily smouldering glare rapidly steered to a hysterical laughter. Seeing Rain on top of his brother like they were about to couple finally broke the denial he had been holding in, kicking his brain into accepting that Vergil was not dead, not drowning in blood or falling to a depthless blackness of Hell, but right here cared for by a lovely, sweet and shy woman. Of all the devils, how did that bastard do it?

Wiping the unbound tears freely streaking down his cheeks, Dante felt a relief like breathing air after a year under the sea. "Damn. I so needed that." Drawing in a sharp invigorating breath, he picked up a pillow from the floor and gently placed it under Vergil's head. He looked for Rain to thank her for taking care of his brother but she wasn't in the room anymore.

"If he starts to convulse again you have to restrain him or he could die," Rain stressed to Dante, standing in the door now fully dressed in her half wet and half cleaned clothes. It seemed to him like she was ready to leave.

He had to do something now. Dante slowly turned to face her with dark, meaningful eyes. "I…wasn't laughing…at you," he drawled, "I thought for a long time that he was dead. I guess I only now figured that he isn't. Please stay. You seem to know what to do and I don't want to lose him again," he said in a low voice she hadn't heard from him till now.

A pause as her eyes sank to the floor and a deep sigh cut through the silence. "I wasn't leaving. I'm a lot more comfortable on my own. It doesn't come to me easily to interact with other people. I will stay…but only till he's past the worst," she said quietly, stealing a glance at the presently peaceful Vergil while nervously playing with a single spiralling strand of her golden hair.

"Sure. Whatever," Dante crossed his arms in front of him. When she started to head back to the bathroom he called after her, "You're just scared. You are scared that you might actually like to interact with someone. I should know."

Rain hesitated, hearing what he said but returned to her cleaning without a reply. Why did he have to be right? How could she not like wanting to laugh at someone's jokes or feel joy, talk about trivial things or share what has forever burdened her mind? But what could she do? Was even Dante safe around her? She had sensed that he liked her. _Oh dear Lord._ The only friend she could have, capable of surviving demons, now had his brother close to death and the reason was all connected to her.

Kneeling down by the bath she suddenly felt so alone just like eight year ago when this had all started. Picking up the o-katana, Rain pictured her own father standing proudly with his sword tucked firmly in his obi in the knowledge his family was safe. He had been so wrong. _No one is ever safe._

Rain lowered the sword in front of her, eyes scanning the hardened blood on the scalpel sharp blade. Her presence had always brought too much blood. She couldn't be with anybody. No, correction, she couldn't like anybody. A memory of the first time she had allowed some nice guy to see her surfaced to her mind. The young man had ended up dead a few weeks later, ripped to pieces and half devoured by demons. She had shut herself off for weeks and had gone on a massive demon killing spree almost costing her own life.

Going to that place with Dante had only shown the sheer ugliness of those behind her cold fate, and now things could get even worse. She had thought maybe it could be different with someone strong enough to survive almost anything, but now she had doubts that would even work. _Look what they did to his half-demon brother?_

Feeling herself grow despondent, Rain bit her cheek while gripping the hilt of the sword firmly. She had to focus her mind on something else to remain sharp. She would clean the blade and get rid of all the blood while waiting for the next time she was needed.

Sometime later, running her fatigued eyes across the mirror like surface of the once more shining steel Rain gave a satisfied sigh, when she spotted an uneven indentation in the metal near the tip of the blade. Her green eyes narrowed instantly, forehead scrunching into a frown. Now blood was one thing, but a force able to make a tear in a katana as fine as this? Who would do such an abominable thing? No fair battle could ever break a countless times folded pure steel? _Must have been those vile demons in the dark dungeon. But the sword has been carefully repaired!_

The ponderings of such mystery not leaving her mind, Rain carefully placed the katana across the sink when a dreadful familiar noise made its way to her ears. Nearly slipping into the bath, Rain managed to pull herself up. Bending down, she frantically stuffed all her things to her little bag. She then sprinted across the hallway, just managing to recover from catching her foot on the carpet.

Coming to a halt a foot from the bed, her eyes caught Dante already trying to take control and hold down Vergil who was doing his best to demolish what was left of the room. Dante succeeded this time and soon the bedroom fell quiet. Slumped by the bed, they waited for what was to come next.

Many times, the sounds of fighting bodies and breaking wood resounded into the night. At three in the morning, Rain's hands slacked alongside her as she watched with spiralling concern Dante being thrown around like a man sitting on a raging bull. She wouldn't have had a chance. The reactions grew so bad Vergil's muscle spasms picked up in strength instead of growing weaker. This was bad, very bad.

Even Dante began to struggle restraining his twin, now resembling a corpse more than a living being. Wounds reopening to drippy stains mixed with sweat pouring from every pore of his body and his disarrayed wet hair clung to an eerily blackening face.

"Something's very wrong," Rain finally called out in desperation, biting her nail. "They must have done something different. I have not seen it get this terrible," she shook her head, mind swimming in a sea of fleeting thoughts. Scooping up soaking strands from Vergil's eyes and combing them back with her fingers, she slipped to the dark cavern in her dreams.

Dripping water in the dump smelling blackness. Screams echoing through the crimson that flickered in the feeble light on the walls. Blood flowing from dissolving bodies like streams of fresh hot lava, from the depths of a dying life. Dissolving blood, beyond repair. _That's it_. Some of them were given the poison repeatedly to make their blood cells pulverize while still alive. They all had gone beyond the reaches of the antidote!

Horror encased her as her startled eyes fell on Dante.

"Do something!" Dante yelled when Vergil let out a blood curdling scream, and then fell gravely quiet. The blood was seeping from everywhere, from his ears and mouth, even eyes. "He is bleeding out," Dante looked at his hand as he pulled it away with Vergil's blood all over.

"I…I don't know what to do," she whispered, her sweaty hands shaking like a leaf. The raw fear that crept into Dante's ghostly features was giving her the chills. Vergil was dying, that much was clear, and there was nothing she could do.

Dante firmly grabbed the exhausted woman by her shoulders and shook her up. "You do know! You know way too much about this, so start thinking!" His bottom lip twitched, the look in his eyes akin to that of a raging wounded animal.

A bolt of fear surged through her as she saw the demon growing in his eyes. This was it. The truth would come out and she would lose everything again. Maybe he would even kill her. Managing to glance at the lifeless body beside her Rain readied to meet her fate in the burning gaze emanating from the pale but intense eyes of the desperate man in front of her. Her mouth parted slightly to let out an exclamation as she felt her shoulders being crushed by his vice like grip.

A shudder resonated through her body and he instantly let go thinking he was hurting her, turning around with a loud, angry growl. Rain watched unmoving as Dante slumped down into the chair, his head hung low as he stared listlessly at the floor, fingers tapping on the armrests.

Somehow she realised he would not harm her even if his brother died. But that could never happen. She had to do something, and fast. Rain gritted her teeth, close to pushing out a tear. This was the first time she had to revisit so much. Her past was a locked cage she dreaded to enter. If only she could reach deep inside that cage, to find what had been locked up within. _No time to be squeamish. I can do it._

Letting her eyes slip close, the figure of her father flickered back to life. Her family joined from behind, all poised and ready for battle, soon all to be soaked in blood. For generations, they were learning everything possible about the hellish creatures and the ways to kill them. This had been their way of life, their livelihood, their honour and their demise.

Rain had been fifteen then, young and naïve. She had been helping in the lab whenever she could, eager to kill the monsters haunting the world. Her father had been her teacher, and she would spend hours observing and learning, sometimes secretly as her mother hadn't taken kindly to her being exposed to the violence at such a young age. But Rain hadn't minded and couldn't resist, watching with fascination as the demons received their 'treatments'. At least that's what she had thought they were.

"They would be just like us when we treat them, darling. Just like humans, you'll see. With human weaknesses and human diseases," her father had said as if he had been reading her favourite bedtime story, stroking her hair fondly._ Just like humans. That's it! It is so simple yet so complicated. I have to treat him like a human!_

"Dante, we have to puncture his skull," Rain yelled out loudly, barely able to supress her bubbling enthusiasm. She pulled out the green injection from her belt hastily, almost piercing her own hand. "And stick this in his brain," she added, poised expectantly.

His face completely failing in sharing her scary cheer Dante blinked several times and graced Rain with a prolonged empty stare before adding his two pence worth, "You are completely shitting me, right?"

Standing there with one hand holding the green liquid and eyes locked on Dante's, she sharply shook her head.

"You are not kidding me," he confirmed, eyes drilling into her for a long while, not liking one bit where this was heading. "So say what? Where?" He asked, voice slightly raspy.

"The parietal lobe," Rain said confidently but when Dante made a move only to stop again with a what-the-fuck-does-that-mean expression she corrected her statement, "The back. I am sorry but we don't have the right instruments. And your brother still has some demon in him. It's the only way. You need to shoot him in the back of his head. Cleanly, to minimize the bleeding," Rain explained slowly, then added when he still didn't move. "You can do it Dante. I know you can. Please trust me."

Dante thought to move his hand but paused again. _This is completely insane._ "You are still not kidding me?" He looked up at Rain who was nodding with a brightened face.

Slowly, he rolled his brother onto his stomach and pulled Ebony out from behind his coat to point the large barrel at the back of Vergil's head. _This is so utterly insane._ He thought, his hand trembling, muscles hardening.

"I don't like this." In other circumstances, and most definitely five years ago, he would have been thrilled about shooting Vergil in the head but now, right now, it felt so wrong. It was like he was actually going to kill him, shooting him like a dying dog needing to be put down. He would never shoot anyone in the back of their head, or back of anything. This was a coward's way, not his. But the worst of it all? It felt like an execution. Damn execution. Like kicking his own twin right back to Hell.

Hand now shaking visibly, Dante cursed willing himself to calm down as he felt his hand wanting to burst out of its human skin and grasp the gun with blackened scales. This would not do. If he happened to release the slightest demonic power with his shot, Vergil's head would be blown clean off. _Cleanly._ Caging his emotions with gritted teeth, he slowly inched the barrel deeper in between the wet silvery bangs. His finger rested lightly on the trigger, waiting to receive the electrical signal telling it to squeeze.

_I have to trust myself as somehow I trust her…_

Holding her breath all this time Rain released the remaining air out from her lungs. They couldn't wait any longer. "You have to do it," she pressed on, her hand taking hold of his shoulder firmly.

Growling, he recoiled slightly, easing his grip on Ebony. How could he live with killing his twin again? "Are you sure this is going to work?" Dante attempted to prevaricate, a droplet of sweat sliding across his temple. Not trusting her hadn't even entered his mind.

"I'm…sure," came a suddenly unsure answer.

Dante emptied his mind as he closed shut his eyes. _At least she is honest._ Just like her untold truth, he knew nothing was sure. Dante turned his head away. He pulled the trigger.

It may not have been like his sword but he clearly felt the projectile accelerate out of the barrel and carve its way through bone and into his brother's brain. So slowly. Vergil's head shook wildly as the bullet broke through his forehead, the soft white pillow instantly painted red.

Stiffly holding Ebony in the same place, Dante felt his hand being pulled away. Through glassy eyes he saw the girl push the contents of the injection into the gaping hole.

"Now we wait," Rain removed the needle watching Dante disappear out of the room. He was making some noise in what sounded like the bathroom. Was he punching the wall?

Biting her lip, she pulled out some clean bandages from her medicine kit, about to wrap Vergil up when they were taken from her hand. Dante was standing next to her as if he'd never left. Rain noticed the white powder of a crumbled wall covering his knuckles, yet she thought it best to say nothing.

Rain gazed at him in calmness as he pulled his brother into a sitting position before gingerly bandaging up Vergil's head, as if he was the most fragile thing. It wasn't far from the truth. Blood instantly soaked through the new dressing and Dante pulled away with a worried, hesitating look.

"Give him another one," Rain prompted, lifting the corner of her lip to a mild encouraging smile as she handed Dante one more role of bandages.

The blood didn't seep through as much this time and they both slumped down with a heavy sigh. This night had been exhausting beyond bearable, especially to Dante. At least Rain had caught some sleep in the car.

"Go get some sleep. He should be fine now. I will stay with him," Rain offered tiredly, seeing as Dante was not so surprisingly taking it all rather hard.

He stood there unmoving for a few moments, then after rubbing his face with his hands he looked at the silent bed. "Why are you doing this?" He still couldn't understand.

Rain lowered her head and gazing down at the floor she drew in a sharp intake of breath. "You tried to help me so now it's my turn. After all I am only _trying_."

"Is that it?" he asked in a compassionate voice knowing it was not so simple. His brother had gotten involved with something nasty from her past. That much was obvious. This time however it was up to her to give him the full story or choose to keep it buried. Dante would still pursue the portals as they were his main concern, and clean up the castle if Vergil didn't wake up. If his brother was to fully recover however, this matter would be between him and his captors. And possibly Rain, if she didn't decide to hold back.

"I have never come across a demon like you before," Rain avoided his question by answering a partial truth. She wanted to keep a friend and because she needed more time. How could she tell him now that she was also helping out of guilt? Because his twin was close to death from something her family had invented and used?

"Half-demon," he corrected her.

"Ah yes, of course," she attempted an empathetic smile, almost not having the energy to do so. Stumbling a few steps across the floor she finally dropped into an armchair shoved against the corner by the entrance and partially closed her already protesting eyes.

She had guessed before as she couldn't tell he was a demon in the first place. They had all received the treatment, her family that is, to be able to sense demons, but only full demons. Secondly, Dante didn't behave like a full devil either. He had tender feelings even though he tried to hide them from others. And then there was Vergil… That was why he had lasted so long. His human blood had kept him alive as the poison was designed to harm mainly demons.

Her eyes were now closed fully while her thoughts passed through her mind like sheep jumping over a fence, nudging her to sleep.

"Then you should know I don't need to sleep," Dante sat down next to the bed again, making it clear who was going to watch over Vergil. "Unlike you," he added, sending her an amused glare when he realised she was already sleeping.

Relaxing into the chair, staring at the ceiling, one thing on his mind other than his brother's controversial return was the feeling that there was a lot more to the girl's problems than she had let on. He had seen the nightmare through her wildly fluttering lashes. Every single moment when she became nearly normal, almost willing to let go and be happy, it was overshadowed by some self-inflicted need to run away and withdraw into a deep dark place, a place of illusive safety and control.

Seemed familiar.

Something very bad must have happened and it wasn't just about the demon attacks or this deadly poison that she knew so much about. He was going to find out what it was, he always did, one way or another.


	5. Fury reborn

A/N: This chapter took a while as I pretty much wrote it from scratch. It is quite different from the original so I hope you like it. One other point – I didn't get much feedback for the last chapter so I am wondering if I have done anything wrong? Should I stop writing now and post the original? Or if you didn't like it then I need to know so that I can fix it. Otherwise it seems you have forgotten how to review so I might need to continue my 3-step review guide again, right? *wink*

CH 5 – Fury reborn

The night stood still. Moonlight scoured the room ominously as it crept ever so slowly from one side to the other.

Dante sat unmoving. Eyes lightly closed, hands hanging loosely over his knees, he listened for any sounds in the semi darkness. It had been five years since he had last seen his brother dying. Five years since he had spoken his last words to him. They had not been kind. Now what was he going to say with the birth of a new day? What was he to say to the eyes the same colour as his should they ever open? And what would he do if they remained closed? Could he do anything at all?

Dante gazed at a face, unrecognizable, marred with blackened swollen bruises. _You always wanted to look more sinister. _His lips rose to a bleak smile, the irony bringing little relief. _And now that you do, you can't even see it._

He stood up, no longer able to watch his brother's darkened visage, too horrid even for the image of a true dark knight. His eyes turned to the sliver of burning fire slowly making its appearance on the horizon in hope it would bring some semblance of warm comfort to his growing unrest.

Dante looked up and cursed at the fast fading moon. "Wake up. Damn you. Wake up."

_Wake up..._Echoed through her ears. Rain's mouth twitched, her body arching, breaking out of a dream. Her eyes opened to a tender light cast by the rising sun. She remained motionless for a while, recalling where she was and what had happened. She had dreamt a terrible dream, the one she had always had yet this time it had been different. A voice had pulled her out from the onyx cave just as she could turn to see a figure shrouded in blackness standing so close behind her…

"Dante?" Rain called into the hazy illumination, not certain where he was, only certain that it had been his voice to pull her of her nightmare and save her from reliving the worst moments for the umpteenth time.

A silhouette of red drew nearer and then became distant again. "He hadn't woken up yet," an emotionless voice came from the window, moving towards her. When she at last saw his sunken features she could tell he had not slept all night. How long had Dante been pacing?

Rain got out of her chair slowly, hesitating as she approached the bed. To her great relief Dante's brother looked a lot better even though it may not have seemed like it to Dante. His flesh had been healing but all the excess blood now became trapped inside his body which made him appear like a giant demonic sore. Her features fell as she realised what she had to do. _Dante will hate this. I have to get him out somehow._

"Dante? It's not so bad. Believe me. A bit of work here and there, and some medicine and he will look like you in no time." _I only have to cut open every part of his body and suck the blood out. This so sucks._ "Please, I need you to go and get some more bandages and supplies. The shop will be open now," Rain urged him gently to make him leave without raising an alarm. She had chosen things from a shop far enough for her to finish what she needed to do.

He stopped facing away from her, his coat rustling as he turned half to the side, smiling. "Look like me, huh? What do I need to get?"

Instead of answering Rain grabbed a pen from the bedside table and scribbled the list on a piece of paper she found lying on the floor. She handed the note to Dante, grateful he hadn't protested. It must have come as a welcomed relief to get out even if for just a while.

"He will only start to get better now and sleep for a while yet," Rain reassured Dante seeing him still linger with uncertainty about leaving. Giving a short nod as he gripped the small paper, Dante disappeared from the room.

Staying stark still until she heard the front door open and close, Rain let go of her strain, turning to her little black bag. Everything she needed was there. She pulled out a scalpel and something to gather the blood, and sat down next to the bed. Steadying her hands, Rain started on the face making small cuts to drain away the blood.

Instantly his skin began to gain a lighter shade, the little incisions sealing gently behind like flowers closing for the night. A sheen of satisfaction danced on her face. Rain shifted her concentrating eyes lower, hand moving to Vergil's chest when she heard a familiar sound of a door being slammed shut. The scalpel hovering above his neck nearly cut through exposed skin as her hand jerked to the side. _Is Dante back already?_

Hurriedly she threw the small knife in her case, grabbing the plastic bag inflated with gathered dark blood. She had to dispose of it before Dante saw it, Rain panicked thinking the sight would upset him just like before.

Quickly making her way to the bathroom, she tipped the container into the sink when a very much confident, sexy female call holding a sense of urgency came from downstairs.

"Dante? Are you there? Dante?"

Rain's heart suddenly pounded hard. That sure wasn't Dante and those steps that resounded downstairs on the wooden floorboards now threaded on the creaky stairs that led to the first floor. _She is coming up here._ Rain froze in a brief panic, then quickly glanced to the open bedroom door, considering closing it before the woman came upstairs.

It was too late though as the sound of heavy boots rounded the corner and Rain hid behind the bathroom door fast. Steadying her breathing, Rain was not sure what to do. Dante had not mentioned any women I his life but wouldn't he for sure have a lot of enemies?

Rain's eyes peeked through the partially open bathroom door and she glimpsed a woman adorned by shortly cut, trendy dark brown hair, hefting some sort of a heavy looking container cased in a black cloth on her back. The stranger leaned in through the open bedroom door while knocking lightly on the doorframe.

"Dante?" Her voice was quieter with a hint of cautiousness as she took a step inside.

Rain tilted her head as the stranger moved further into the room, green eyes sliding downward to the woman's boyish rough-cut shorts, widening at the sight of entire artillery strapped to her strong thighs and waist. She could surmise that the woman knew Dante but what was she doing with all those guns?

Stopping herself from falling over and making a noise Rain held in a gasp when she saw the other come to an abrupt halt as if she saw something unexpected. Rain watched with uneasy anticipation as the woman neared Vergil's coat draped neatly over the comfy chair placed half way between the door and the bed.

The air instantly filled with the heavy scent of gunpowder carrying dark hostility as the brunette took the silk between her fingers, then slowly turned her head to the gaunt man lying in Dante's sheets. In a flash a menacing semi-automatic appeared in the brunette's leather-clad hand, aimed point-blank at Dante's brother.

Rain let out a gasp, hands instinctively dipping for her katanas but in vain. They were still in the car. Her eyes landing on the sink, she quickly grabbed the sword that still rested across its rim.

Without a further thought she dived out of the bathroom and like a gazelle sprinting nimbly over a shallow river Rain leapt across the corridor, sinking low as she skidded over the floor. Sliding hard towards the woman's spread out legs, Rain pressed the katana against the floor as she collided with the stranger, sending them both to the ground in a rambling, jumbled heap.

Rain instantly regained her orientation and kicked out her leg to knock out the gun the charismatic brunette still surprisingly held in her hand.

"What in the…?" The stranger shook the bafflement out of her head, pulling out her leg from under Rain as she jumped up from the floor, taking a first look at the one who had so rudely interrupted her solemnised intentions. Gazes locked in an awkward silence as the women sized each other, each waiting for the other to make the next move.

The thickening air could have been sliced into ribbons when in a blink of an eye the brunette whipped out an Uzi, arm outstretching to Rain. Feeling the silky hilt still in her hand, as her legs would have been too slow to react, Rain thrust forth the katana, pinning the gun to the woman's chest by its magazine.

Resolute green eyes met with blazing bi-coloured ones Rain had never seen. It was as if the reddish brown one held all the rage and anger in the world while the other, the blue one seemed almost sad, filled with hopeless determination. The stranger looking roughly the same age as Rain tilted her head in slight puzzlement mixed with annoyance, her mouth twisting in anger.

The woman, beautiful in a dangerous way whilst her feminine lips held a sort of a tenderness and fragility was studying her, a brief question of who she was appearing in those unusual multi-coloured eyes until they flashed back to the bed as if in a reminder of her primary goal.

"I don't know what your game is but if you want to play with me you will regret it." She snarled, pulling out a second pistol, this time trained square at Rain. _Dammit. How many of those things can she have stashed somewhere?_ Rain cursed inwardly, twisting the katana to pop the magazine from the sub then pressed the tip lightly into the looming brunette's clothes as to draw no blood, right against the most vulnerable spot of her stomach.

A look of irritation played across the stranger's face. "Well, well, well. Aren't you nifty with that little sword of yours," the female gunslinger said with a hint of acknowledgment, then her voice dipped into a venomous chime. "Let me let you in on something. I always get the job done when it comes to filthy demons so you better get out of the way, or I will..."

"Or you will do nothing you are thinking of," Rain interjected, holding the sharp sword firmly in place as she began to rise from the floor. "I don't know who you are or why you want to kill this man but be assured that you will not even touch him while he is asleep and unable to defend himself. Why don't you wait till he wakes up and then you can explain yourself to him face to face? Or have you no honour?"

"A man? Honour?" The woman laughed darkly. "You are mistaken on both counts. That is no man, and…" She spat the next word, "_Demons_ have no honour. So why should I? I have some unfinished business and I am gonna finish it."

As soon as she finished her words she propelled herself into the air, whizzing past Rain to land between her and Vergil, her light pistol ready to blast a shower of bullets between the half-demon's closed eyes. Rain grunted out load as she thrust the handle of the katana hard into the back of the brunette's knee, causing her to stagger and miss her shot.

The woman steadied and spun round, quickly slotting a new magazine into her submachine gun to point both weapons at Rain. Her guns ended up threatening empty air as Rain had slunk behind her, Yamato's scalpel edge shining into the brunette's face. "Not all demons are the same," Rain said calmly, unyielding.

The stranger paused as if stunned, eyes shifting to sweep over the sword. A surprise briefly brushed her face and her unique eyes narrowed in disgust.

"Oh I see. He even lets you wield his precious little sword? Then you must know he is a demon. And you still protect him? Or maybe you are a demon too? Don't think for a second I am afraid of that oversized scalpel of his. I broke the sword once and I can do it again," she ducked down fast and holstered her guns, whipping out something quite else.

"Then it was you?" Unfazed as she stared into the giant barrel of a scary bayonetted rocket launcher, Rain felt her steam rise at the inexplicably relentless, diabolical woman hell-bent on killing a wounded, unconscious man. Was her cold-blooded anger keeping her beyond humanity or was she even human?

"And you call yourself a human? Maybe you are the one who should be eradicated," Rain proclaimed passionately and let the katana's hilt dance through her fingers. She nearly lost balance as she was too short for the sword's considerable length but managed to stay focused on the stubborn, brash stranger.

The women begun to circle each other, eyes locked in a deadly stare.

As the brunette completed a half circle with her back near the bed, she smoothly pulled out her semi-automatic whilst holstering her small cannon, mouth curling into a victorious smile.

_That devious she-devil. _Rain's eyes widened in amazement, and she drew in a sharp breath of an alarmed surprise. There was no way she could get to her in time…

The imposing stranger's trigger finger twitched happily, the barrel of her gun easily slotting into Vergil's temple.

Without thinking Rain desperately lifted the katana in her hand, adjusting her grip, readying to throw the long sword at the dark haired woman whom she had not intended to wound until now. But enough was enough.

The stranger's eyes swivelled to peer at Rain, deep-rooted darkness resonating in those bi-coloured pupils. A large barrel of a handgun appeared in a perfect line to Rain's eyes, then dipped lower to aim at the flat of the sword's golden guard.

Rain's hand jolted in pain as a bullet hit the metal of the ornate guard and the katana flew past the woman's tilting head, embedding in the wall with a resounding zing. Another bullet already entering the chamber, a thin sinister sneer appeared on the raven-haired woman as she turned her fully armed irritation to the now disarmed Rain. The pest had to be dealt with even if it meant her main goal had to wait.

"Lady! Stop right now!"

A fiery voice fuelled by powerful lungs resounded in the room.

Both women froze, heads snapping to the door. Dante stood in a ready-to-draw pose, his arm slightly bent and fingers apart close to his blood red coat.

Rain could not decide whether to slump in relief or back away seeing his eyes burning with a blood-red hue, fully focused on the trigger happy gun maiden in a no-nonsense gaze. She had seen this look on him only once before. It was when he was killing demons.

Long moments passed as her eyes flickered between Dante and the woman. So he had meant the stranger when he had said "Lady". Some Lady she was, Rain surmised while trying to remain calm. This was no longer her fight, at least she hoped.

"Put your guns away," Dante said softly, almost too softly. It sounded creepy to Rain.

"You don't tell me what to do. I will stay right here until I finish this. Or have you forgotten already what he is, what he has done? If I remember right, didn't he betray you?" She replied stubbornly, her red eye, the angry one, gaining a darker shade.

Dante's eyes narrowed to a mere slit. "No. I have no problem remembering. It's who to trust right now that I have a problem with," he drawled, fingers twitching for his guns in rising irritation. "And I thought I could trust _you_," his voice was as cold as metal in deep winter.

Slowly lowering her arms to rest alongside her body, the woman gave her full attention to Dante, something stirring underneath her skin as she spoke. "I never forgot. I never forgot what happened in that horrible place. Not even after you made me think he was dead I didn't forget. Now I come back unannounced and find him in your bed looked after like he was some royalty? And you dare to lecture me about trust?" She looked at him with narrowing eyes, her hands rolling into fists around her guns.

"You always come back unannounced," he gave a sarcastic chuckle, eyes singing joyless tune.

She started to back away shaking her head, her arms rising to point at Dante.

_Jeez, does she want to kill just about everybody?_ Rain felt a cold shiver run down her spine, daring not to move as she tried to guess the malevolent woman's murderous intents. _Betrayal she said?_ _Lovers quarrel maybe? But between whom?_

"So you have hidden this monster all this time? Even getting a stranger to look after him?" She nudged her chin sharply towards Rain. "You'd trust a stranger over me after all these years?" She glared, a flash of incomprehension marring her steaming mismatched eyes.

Dante could not believe what he had just heard. He had never had the need to bend his so called friend over his knee and whip her to raw flesh until now. In a lightning dash he closed the gap to Lady and gripped her wrists hard, twisting them up just as he heard the fatal clicks of her guns.

"You asking me right now?" His voice shook with angry bitterness as two bullets rebounded of the ceiling flying somewhere behind Dante. "I think actions speak louder than words here, don't you think? That stranger saved my brother's life, while you just tried to kill him!"

"That's what I do in case you haven't caught on yet. I swore to kill all demons. And he is one of the worst! Like my father was!" She shouted, struggling fiercely to free herself from his grip, eyes blazing in a maddened fury.

Rain swallowed in growing unease, not liking the woman's words. _The worst of demons? Like her father? So this bad temper runs in her family?_ Funny, why she was not surprised that the she-devil was a demon too? What concerned her more however was the woman's sore hatred towards Dante's brother, whom judging by Dante surely couldn't have done anything so bad?

Mangled thoughts ran through Rain's bewildered mind when she saw the dark haired demon yank her hands down to free herself from Dante only to reach for another of her wicked weapons in a place she had not used before. When she was about to jam her knee into his groin as a distraction he did not fall for that for one moment. He spun her round harshly, pinning her hands in a cross to her torso, Kalina Ann on her back digging hard into his chest.

"So where does that leave me? You are going to kill me too? You stroll back in from a fun week out and instantly start shooting the only family I still have? Unlike you, I still hold something deep inside that is telling me there is always a chance for better if you just give it," Dante's voice was breaking as he hurled his anguish at Lady over her rocket launcher, the cold metal jarring between their strung, heavily breathing bodies.

"I am only trying to protect you," Lady said in a softer tone after a prolonged pause, relaxing her poise as if she had accepted defeat. The moment Dante let himself be fooled and loosened up his grip, she slipped out one gun and aimed it square at Vergil.

Rain felt her heart jump, her mouth opening to warn Dante with a yell when he propelled Lady up with his knee, causing her to flip over him and land hard on the floor. Two shining barrels of polished steel instantly materialized in front of Lady's bi-coloured squinting eyes.

"Get out!"

Lady stood unmoving, still holding her guns by the side of her, hesitating in bewilderment. She could not comprehend what had gotten into Dante. Had he not tried to kill his deranged brother many times before, even succeeding that one last time? She had been just doing him a favour, right? Dante had not done this before, he had never asked her to leave, and he had always trusted her. A puzzling inclination that she may have gone too far penetrated her stomach.

Interpreting her silence as a mulling stubbornness, Dante reiterated his point by unlocking the safety on his imposing handguns. "Get out and don't come back until you figure out what it is you want to die for."

With a sulky face Lady holstered her guns and turned on her heels. She was out of the room, slamming the entrance door behind a moment later.

Dante slotted Ebony and Ivory into his holster and slipped a calming glance to Rain.

"Hard to have friends, huh?" She was still standing on the same spot, hand slipping into her hair, slightly questioning yet unobtrusive gaze directed at Dante and he knew that she wasn't going to pry.

Nodding his thanks for her discreetness and ability to stand up to Lady who had just caused his heart to slip lower, Dante remembered what Rain had fought with. Without a word he walked to the bed and smoothly pulled out Yamato from the wall, leaving a neatly shaped hole behind. He examined the sword with sweeping eyes that appeared very much human again, and then turned their intensity to Rain.

"Umm, about that. I am really sorry. I grabbed it when I…"

"Don't mention it. To him. Just don't tell him you used it. Or cleaned it so… Wonderfully. I want to thank you now that you have done this because believe me, he won't. I thought you should know so you won't be disappointed and also that I really am grateful," he said, a slight shiver in his voice, his eyes carrying a sheen of sincere gratitude and admiration. He had not even given one thought to the one thing his twin considered close to sacred, and this girl, he could hug her for this, had paid attention to everything despite not knowing his brother at all.

"Dante, I was not intending to tell him I cleaned his sword and coat, but will he not notice the not so slight difference?" Rain asked not worried but little surprised. Why couldn't he find out what someone had done for him? What _was_ Dante's brother like? That woman had been hell bent on wanting to kill him and she had called him a monster…

"You cleaned his coat too?" A voice of amazement broke her out of her thoughts. "Whoa babe, you know you keep saying how bad you are at interacting with people but I think you are a lot better than you give yourself a credit for," he said, staring at her with deeply penetrating blue eyes.

Her mouth opening, she didn't know what to make of his unexpected remark. Strangely though it didn't make her want to run away. Nonetheless she still felt uncomfortable and needed to change the subject. "But what are we going to tell him?"

"Don't worry. I would bet my boots that he won't even notice," he gave her a curl of his mouth.

"I would," she said quietly, not knowing what to think. She never expected any gratitude, that was not it, but how could a true warrior not notice his sword has swapped a thick coating of blood for an immense shine? Was it simply because he was a man? Even if only by half?

She finally moved and made a few steps to Dante, taking the katana gently from his hand. His eyes followed her as she walked to the bathroom, returning with a superbly polished, midnight black saya. With one spin of the blade Rain sheathed the steel and placed the sword into Vergil's hand, wrapping his cold fingers around the silky smooth handle.

"Well now, if he still doesn't notice, at least he won't cut his fingers."

She lifted her head as Dante made a sound, a snort of some sort before he started laughing. Rain could not help but gaze at him, the deep sound of Dante's laughter making her shiver inside.

"Babe, you crack me up," he chuckled, the loud, crisp sound slowly transferring into a passionate voice. "This is a guy who could carve a dying man's last wish into their chest without them ever seeing his sword," Dante made his face shift with a quizzical glee, his finger making a cross on his chest. "I have always been proud of my bro's refined and quiet skills with myself being more of a demolition type. Not that I am not proud of my own skill either," he straightened up puffing up his chest.

"Well, I have seen what you can do. Beside your guns you were…Admirably scary when you tried out my katanas," Rain admitted, timid enthusiasm creeping into her cheeks. "Is he…Equally scary?" She cut her chin to Vergil.

Picking up on her shy interest, Dante's lips curled up with a devious smile as he stepped close to her, leaning down. "No. He is scarier," he said, smirking as he saw the awe rising in the depths of her green orbs.

"But…" He began to say, eyes flicking to Vergil.

"Don't tell him that either?" Rain guessed lifting a light eyebrow.

"You got it," he cracked a wink, clicking his tongue.

"So basically I shouldn't talk to him at all?"

"Nah. Yeah. Basically," Dante mumbled, giving her the wait-right-here finger as he heard the phone ringing in the downstairs lounge.

As he left the room, Rain sauntered to the window, letting herself fall into comfortable numbness as she looked up into the soft clouds floating so carefree amongst the calming hues of blue. She could just open the window and wait for the sun to burn through the velvety haze and kiss away all the dark blemishes scaring her mind. She gazed breathlessly at the sereneness right outside the window yet so out of reach. It had become her dream to appreciate beauty freely without fearing the evil that lay in disguise behind. Still, she could not help this feeling that somehow, something was about to change for the better.

A cold shiver made her turn. All the early autumn sky's blue instantly shrunk into two orbs of the hardest ice. Rain stared at a pair of deeply set eyes emanating a cruel wrath, sinking far into her soul. She was unable to tear herself away, her nerves freezing, being encased into a hardening shell of dread and fear.

"Are you sure it's demons? Why don't you go and look again. It sounds more like a scared cat to me," came from downstairs and those dreadful eyes instantly snapped to the door. Rain remained immobile, grateful for hearing Dante's voice as warmth again seeped into her being, bringing her back to her wits.

"H…Hello?" Rain stammered out nervously, stepping forward carefully. Somehow she didn't know what she became afraid of now that he was gaining consciousness, whether it was finding out who he really was or finding out what he was doing in that cave. What if he was one of those who pursued her perhaps punished for something bad he had done?

She approached the bed, her hand slowly inching towards his shoulder trying not to startle him. Did he know who she was? Had he recognised her from somewhere? She had not normally received such horrible stares. Her finger touched his skin softly and this time those eyes turned to her slowly. They held confusion, the hard glacier cracking and swirling as his eyelids fluttered rapidly, unable to hold up any longer.

He closed his eyes, the beautiful face he didn't know disappearing as his mind descended into darkness.

"Try not to fall asleep. Hello? Vergil? Try not to fall…"

* * *

He was falling.

A stone cold dark floor came up fast and hit him hard. He managed to look up just in time to see the orange-red whirring vapours of a portal before the demonic transport disappeared with a jarring, screeching sound.

_Must have been a homemade contraption. Amateurs._ He grumbled inwardly, ignoring the pain as his annoyed eyes searched the room he dropped into, finding nothing but dark outlines of medieval stone walls. The sharp and dry stench of Hell became a softer scent of earthy dampness, something he had known only in the human world. So he had been exiled from the world he had craved and begun to hate, to a world he had hated but now secretly craved. How ironic.

He lifted his head and propped himself on his elbow, bound hands twitching for his sword. He had heard Yamato fall with a loud clank somewhere behind him. If only he could get to it, he could cut through the black energy tightening against his wrists and ankles.

Vergil dragged his elbow backwards, wincing as he found out his tied up legs had been broken. Yet the sword's faint aura calling, damaged by the terrible fall drove him to move on relentlessly. Soon he felt the presence of another though. A strong, demonic presence, malevolent in its nature, closing on his location fast. His bones already snapping back to place he could move a lot faster, fingers searching for his katana in the dark.

He heard a door that he had not seen creak open, the sound of two heavy booted feet making an entrance. The air instantly filled with a foul stench of death and decay, the aura of whoever stood there flooding the small room, carrying an essence of a powerful demon lord.

Sensing the tides have turned for the worse Vergil stretched fast as far as he could despite the scream-worthy pain, fingertips making a contact with his katana, slipping across the cold polished sheath. The boots made a move, heavy steps echoing hollowly through the empty room. Vergil's senses picked up something quite else the closer the demon moved. It was a pure enjoyment, sick, cold-blooded, sadistic joy, without the slightest hint of doubt or a sliver of honour.

Vergil's mouth narrowed in a hard line. She had tossed him in here, to this detestable beast? Did she not know how much he despised these obtuse savage cave prowlers? Oh, she knew. That despicable tyrant. Teeth grinding in anger and disgust, Vergil twisted his shoulders just far enough before they'd snap out of their sockets and took a firm hold of Yamato.

His thumb flicked up the guard when the monstrous boot slammed on the sword, the blade cutting deep into his hand. More pain shot through his entire body as in one move he rammed his wrists against the blade to slice the demonic bonds and propped himself on one freed hand, kicking his legs straight into the demon lord's belly.

Too bad that before his bare feet connected, a hand encrusted with grizzly black veins shot forth fast, sticking a needle into his thigh. Vergil gasped for breath, his vision mudding over well before he hit the ground. The pain he thought had been bad before had become nothing against what he felt now.

"You like pain?" The voice that came from the monster creaked like a rusty old door. Without waiting for an answer the demon uttered gleefully, "You are in the right place."

"Then, you yourself crave pain? Since you are here," Vergil strained through his teeth acidly, head lifting to his captor with eyes set into a blistering glare. In a flash he swiped his legs across the ground, knocking Kuro down with a nasty crunch of his demonic knees.

"I must admit, I am flattered. You had to call forth your demonic form to approach me even whilst I am in chains. Amusing as it is for me, this was the only wise choice you have made. For next time my path will lead to yours, it will be on equal grounds. And very bad for you," Vergil growled softly.

Enraged and surprised at his victim's resistance to fear and to the serum that should have sent him writhing on the floor in pain, Kuro dealt a numbing blow to Vergil's abdomen, slamming him hard against the wall. He was about to introduce his iron studded boot to the half-demons annoyingly subtly smirking pretty face when the air moved above them, transforming into howling tornado that screeched like a machine that has never been oiled.

Cringing at the noise, Vergil felt compelled to cover his ears, yet his arms refused to obey. He was not able to get up or move anymore, only reduced to stare at the stupid sadistic gaze of that ape man who seemed way too pleased with himself as he looked up into the swirling hole.

"Don't disappoint me Kuro," a high pitched yet commanding female voice sounded from the other side of the windy tunnel, surprisingly loud. "The prophecy nears its fulfilment and that pathetic creature is still alive. I will not tolerate further failure," the voice thundered through the dimly lit room.

"I will not fail you, my queen," the dark lord responded flatly, his voice bordering on annoyance.

"Find the female for me. Find her and kill her! You have six human months to correct this blasphemous mistake," the enraged voice continued to rumble through the narrow stone corridors like an aftershock of an earthquake.

"As you wish my queen," Kuro grinned wickedly despite his obedient tone. "And him?" He asked impatiently.

"Do with him as you please. He is no longer of any use to me. And…I count on your talents to make him feel welcome. I would not want him to think he has been forgotten. In turn, hang this in his cell as a reminder of the power he had thrown away," with that Vergil's hand-stitched blue silk coat fell through the swirling orange-red hole just before it crackled away, landing over Vergil's head. The stench of a perfume he had known so well assaulted his nostrils and he felt an urgent need to cough.

Close to choking as coughing was out of the question, Vergil abstained from being grateful when the demon lord swiped the coat from his head, giving only a creepy chuckle in response to the queen's demands. Kuro then licked his black lips, a glint of satisfaction dancing in his blithe charcoal eyes as he tossed the coat to the floor hard.

"Don't worry. Soon you won't smell that witch. Instead you'll enjoy the stink of your own blood," he grinned, revealing disgusting blackened teeth as he landed his eyes on the empty syringe in his hand.

"What have you injected me with? What have you done to me?" Vergil wheezed as even breathing had become an exerting chore, his entire body feeling as if being ripped out nerve by nerve. His eyes hurt even as he glanced around the dim room, noticing Yamato only a few feet from his hands. This time though, his skill or strength was not going to save him and he wasn't about to crawl his way to humiliation. There had to be another way.

"This?" He wiggled the syringe, giving a cruel smirk. "This is perfection," he drawled gleefully. "Well, it is not yet perfected but now that you are here…Soon I will be able to achieve what no one has before. Its powers will soon be reversed!" He lifted his hands in the air with a triumphant shake.

"Reversed? What will be reversed?" The half devil let out with a heavy breath, his forehead dropping to touch the cold stone floor.

The cloaked demon lowered his hands to tower over Vergil's form lying heavy against the floor. "The reverse of transforming a demon blood to that of a human. Isn't that what you always wanted? Isn't that a worthy cause? Just imagine, with your unique half-breed blood, unlimited blood, I can continue my research for months or even years. All the humans I have used so far had died within a few days and it's so hard to keep up the supply without rousing too much suspicion in this superstitious world. But with you, I can give you my undivided attention and no one in this world even knows you are alive."

Gulping as his throat suddenly turned raw, Vergil stared at the floor, disbelieving what he had just heard. His pulse begun to race, his breath heating the cold stone as he felt sweat form on his temples. His blood, his precious blood will not be used to turn a single wistful maniac to the demonhood, but it will be used to turn _all of_ humans to demons? No. He had to get out of here.

The ceiling swayed and blurred into a sea of grey as he was dragged across the room, mind whirling into a haze swimming with billions of Spardas running around the world. This would not only destroy all humans, it would destroy the uniqueness of his own being, of his heritage that he had been so dedicated to protect. And now he would let them have it all without a fight? Oh yes, father would be proud.

"I have just the place for you. The best accommodation in this first class establishment for my star guest. I swear you will just love it," the demon spoke in a homicidal tone not caring if Vergil could hear him, towing his numb body into the worst and most isolated cell in the dungeons.

Once inside he tossed Yamato and the blue garment in a dirty corner and roughly yanked the half-demon's arms up, hoisting them into rusty old shackles covered by the blood of another. Vergil projected a deadly glare as a last defence, letting out a growl through gritted teeth. He fought to stay conscious as long as he could, using every moment left to let his captor know that he just got himself a very dangerous, unwilling lab rat. He would do everything in his power to sabotage this deplorable research, anything to try and escape, anything to rip his captor alive should even the slightest opportunity present itself.

The slightest thin smile lingered on Kuro's raven lips as if in uncertain caution as he ensured again that his toy was securely shackled, unable to move. Reassured of his safety, the black devil strolled aside proceeding to anchor Vergil's infamous blade on the opposite wall, in full view of its owner yet completely out of reach. He then threw the trench coat over Vergil's head quickly, making sure he was not attacked, and exited the cage, locking it before he walked away clearing his drying throat.

Two intense blue orbs shone in the darkness promising vengeance upon those who had betrayed him and those who are yet to betray. The sharp ostentatious smell of the Hell Queen's perfume made him scrunch up his face in unspeakable rage.

_So, the deplorable excuse for a Hell's leader has a dark secret. How curious… And as for this insane joker, I will have the pleasure of degutting him later, slowly, painfully, eternally._ Those thoughts flowed to the depths of his soul before his head lolled down lifelessly, unconscious claiming his mind.

* * *

The projection of death and rage was so raw Rain thought she would shake under his dreadful stare. He had fallen unconscious for a while, it must have been ten or fifteen minutes, but now the eyes had opened again and Dante was no longer on the phone.

"Ahrrmm," Rain let out an uneasy groan, biting her lip as she failed to say something, yet managed not to look away. She hoped he must have been still delirious to glare like that, perhaps even think he was still in that prison, though from the hot sweat covering his face and chest she could tell that his body already started to recover and fight the poison with a fever.

Then what if this was his normal self?

Rain blinked startled as the condemning eyes twitched and started to suddenly clear, the glacier turning in water to float with the lighter side up. She saw his thumb slide ever so slowly across the sheath she had placed in his hand, the lighter eyes now drifting downwards to see what the thumb was touching.

He remained looking at his sword with a prolonged gaze, long slender fingers lingering, feeling as if they have come into contact with something they had not been likely to touch again.

Rain held in a breath, head leaning forward in an unthought-of expectation as she saw him enclose his hand around the silk woven hilt, lightly trembling.

Was he… Was he going to notice?

Or did she more wish that Dante could have been wrong? Or that the so called lady who had tried to kill him so badly had been simply out of her mind? Or was _she_ out of her mind? What was she expecting for her guilty efforts, a box of chocolates and flowers followed by a peck on a cheek?

She had grown closer to Dante, even during the very few days she had known him, yet he was becoming more of a brother to her, making her laugh and live while casually slaughtering her enemies. But to imagine, his brother with nothing but darkness on his heart after being held in such a terrible place and possessing those formidable eyes that could kill with a single look, what he could unleash. A terror most horrid on anyone who would try to hurt her. What would it be like, what would it feel like for her enemies to be scared and run away for a change? Was it too much to ask to be left in peace for once in her life?

"Is it too much to ask for anyone to know what a damn demon looks like?" Dante stormed into the bedroom, ranting. "I mean I kept saying it sounded like a cat, but no, they had to insist that it was a monster. So I said go and open a tin of tuna and then tell me if it still looks like a demon stuck behind the fridge," he kept saying miffed, one hand on his hip, the other gesturing in the air.

Grateful to be pulled from her thoughts as she had found them silly and shameful, Rain hinted with silent words and her chin towards the bed.

Assuming she wanted him to be quiet as not to wake up Vergil, Dante waved her off, curling up a lip. "No worries, darn time anyway that lazy bastard woke up."

Vigorously shaking her head, Rain desperately gestured with all she could to the bed until Dante turned to meet with a gaze he has not remembered seeing for a very long time.

"Oh."

He uttered, his eyes sticking by some magnetic force to two slightly widened ice-blue pools radiating strong disbelieve with a mixed in vapour of fear. Taken aback, Dante dared not to move as he recognised this look, coming from somewhere afar, as if Vergil saw a ghost of someone who didn't exist. Aghast and worried, Dante realised that his brother's mind was still living in that cell and through his fever he couldn't make out the sharp edges of reality.

He had to get him out of that bubble of obscurity soon, or he couldn't guarantee Vergil's safety or Rain's should his brother suddenly figure out he was free to move...And armed.

"Vergil?" He called out his name cautiously, gesturing for Rain to move back to the window.

Unsure why, Rain was tempted to protest but the hard warning look on Dante's face convinced her to obey.

Making one step closer to the bed Dante has not let his eyes of Vergil's, searching within for any signs of lucidity. He was not sure what effect would hearing his twin's name have on his estranged brother but deception was not a good way to start.

Steeling himself, he leaned in, his hand close to the guns tied to the rear of his belt. He had no intention of using them but his natural instinct had moved his arm. Quickly pulling his hand back as if in shame, he spoke softly, "Vergil? It's Dante. You know who I am? You may not think I am real, but I am. You are not imprisoned anymore. You are in my house, and everything is fine."

He saw a glimmer of calmness in Vergil's eyes, a small clearing of clarity when the opening fogged over fast, his thumb pushing slowly on the guard of Yamato.

"Vergil. You are safe and free. Listen to my voice. You know who I am, don't you," Dante repeated in growing anguish truly hoping Vergil wasn't going for his sword because of hearing his brother's name.

His blade held on high alert, free hand sliding from under the covers in determined readiness to strike, to cut down his enemy now that somehow he had regained advantage after so long of hopelessness and shame.

"I am your brother. Put down your sword and open your eyes. I don't want to fight anymore."

The enemy had always been deceptive and cunning. His captor would lie to surpass his fears. He had to be on his guard, pain or no pain, on the brink of consciousness or alert. He had to always watch and wait no matter what, in dark stinking silence for the slightest of opportunities to make his move.

"Vergil." Sweat soiled Dante's hands as his brother's eyes darkened, descending into hate and a wish of death. He was going for Yamato, planning to make his escape.

He had to strike now, while he could. This was the only chance. He had to get out of here.

Nails biting into her palm, Rain was shaking her head, heart leaping out of her chest.

"You know, this one time…It was just me and you, and there was something you said I would never forget." Dante reached for his brother's shaking hand, pressing down to keep Yamato firm against the bed, closing his eyes to do what he has not tried for a very long time.

"We were all alone, and you said: Dante, even in the darkest time, the light of the other will always illuminate our path."

Something was wrong. He had his sword firm in his grasp, the enemy so close to his death. Yet something had shaken inside him, a powerful familiar force that the enemy could not possibly possess making his katana weigh a thousand tons and slip from his hand. Such trickery.

"I remember I laughed, at first. But later, I knew what an idiot I've been not to know just how much you meant it."

Tricks. More tricks. His captor was laughing as he began to fade, the colour of red growing from inside him, ripping him to pieces. He was going to be suffocated by blood, his own blood as a final stroke of humiliation. Panic gripping his mind, he shook violently, blinded by the river of crimson that was flowing through his body, yet somehow, the fear and hate, the pain and death, they all began to wash away.

"Hold on, almost got you," Dante grit his teeth, his hand pulsing in and out of blackened scales of a demon to smooth human skin, all the while a soft exhale of red energy flowed from his fingers.

The river now feeling like a reviving bath, Vergil could do nothing but to shed all his defences, and drop all his guards, surrendering to the warmth and comforting sensation, responding unknowingly as his body released a blue river of its own.

Feeling a shock of blue jump into his heart and flood his senses, Dante recoiled abruptly, his breath heavy and chest heaving as he pulled away from Vergil.

Looking at the bed, two eyes of amazement laced with deepening shame have risen from under blinking white lashes, a voice hoarse with thirst and hunger addressed the man standing before him in a bright red haze.

"Dante?"


	6. Dark and Ugly

**CH 6 – Dark and Ugly**

His eyes blinked away the haze distorting the ruby image before him, hand erratically seeking the soothing coldness of his sword as if to gather some semblance of confidence to face what was about to come. He had felt this rare sensation, a casual nibbling at his usually sound conscience for some time, yet never acknowledged he would ever have to come to terms with its true meaning. Now that he was faced with the composed and matured presence of his brother he couldn't help but feel the pain of failure and defeat. Yes, to his great detriment against all the odds and all his past accomplishments Dante had proven to be the better man.

Waiting to find an uplift to his degrading thoughts he soon found out they took a course of their own and headed in a single direction. How long has it been? How long since he had abandoned all that was human to join all that had become Hell? His eyes slid down to peer blankly at a dark space in the room trying to remember the events that had led him to this very unfortunate moment.

Oh yes, he recalled now, if ever so vaguely as if that memory mattered no more. It had been five years. Five years that had shrunk into insignificance when he had woken up from certain death to the abjection of being alive. All that he had done, all that he had been forced to become now a mere nightmare that would haunt him in the abundant light that was his brother's.

His body wanted to groan from the dull agony that so callously slithered across his every nerve but he couldn't dare to show how much it pained him being saved by the one he had once so callously betrayed. How could he even begin to explain what had simply been an instinct, an urge to follow what had once felt right? No matter how unpleasant the predicament there was no time to back away. He had never backed away, the least when it came to his brother.

No clever or rectifying words coming to overshadow the demeaning feeling of shame, he simply lifted his eyes to Dante in an empty, searching silence.

"Seriously now Verge," Dante was the first to break the alarmingly tense, uncomfortable air the only way he knew how. "Did you really think going for the dark and ugly look would get you anywhere?" He formed a forced smile.

Torn from the detestable feelings drowning his mind, Vergil forced himself to focus on the meaning of what Dante was saying. _Dark and ugly?_ The older twin suddenly became aware that he had been fixated purely on seeing his brother without even noticing his surroundings. How badly affected could he be? There was a time not long ago when he had taken such measures for a commonplace routine.

Swallowing the harrowing doubt rising in his throat, Vergil shifted his eyes from Dante, letting them travel downward to the part of his body he could see under the cover. His gaze stilled in a frozen stare as he took in the flooding pools of blackened sores brimming with his own decaying blood. Surmising that's what Dante had meant by his typically appropriate remark, he pondered if this could have caused the mind numbing physical pain he was feeling, yet somewhat insignificant compared to his distraught mental state. His eyes slid across the room, coming to a halt when he spotted Rain.

_And just who might this be?_

His senses rose in alert as the feeling he had seen her before gnawed at his struggling mind. With a spontaneous reaction he attempted to probe her with his searching glare, eyes narrowing as if to penetrate her soul.

Feeling a rising pressure Rain flinched but did not look away, trying to put some meaning to his ill-disposed stares now that he was supposed to be out of his confused delirium. Or was he still delirious? Rain couldn't tell, surmising there must have been some reason his dark gaze so consistently steered towards her. Did he know who was after her? Was _he_ after her? She broke the contact at that thought, hand sinking nervously into her hair.

"Vergil," Dante intervened abruptly, breaking his twin's uncomfortable attention from his female friend. "This is Rain. And give her a break man. She is the reason you are still alive," he nodded to her in casual acknowledgement when Vergil directed his mirthless blue eyes to him, questioning surprise replacing suspicion.

A woman? He had been saved by a human woman? How many more would now know about his wonderfully demeaning tale? His body would mend eventually but would his reputation withstand this blow should it get out to the open? He draped his eyelids hard over his orbs in an attempt to flush away the increasing mortification. It was in vain.

"Don't worry, she won't do anything to you now that she more or less cured all the poison from your body," Dante added, not helping the slight flippancy as he was becoming a little irked with his nonresponsive blue-half, waiting for some sort of a reply. Anything. _Just enlighten us with something you old_ _grump_.

_And judging from the state of me she could enrich her skills greatly._ Splendid, just splendid. Now he was turning into an ungrateful, dishonourable prick. Vergil pressed his teeth together, biting at the needless bitterness threatening to jump to his tongue. This was not who he was. This was not his way. He had honour and a good manner where it was due, still somewhere lost inside. Desperately trying to find a rational thought, to find a cause and a purpose in this madness, he bid his mind to glue together the walls that seemed to had crumbled away somewhere in the darkness that had been his prison for so long.

But this darkness still resided in his mind, obscuring whatever he so desperately wanted to see yet couldn't recall. Who? Who had imprisoned him and why? He had to focus on sifting through all these meaningless feelings, had to remember how to wrap all this nonsense in a blissful façade of detachment, even if it meant only a shaky, temporary attempt to save himself from doing something deeply regretful. Like screaming in a loud voice.

"I am…I am grateful," Vergil convinced himself aloud, eyes slowly lifting to the ceiling in a stern gaze. His hand gripped Yamato hard, the other scrunching the sheet into a fist under the duvet to calm himself down.

Expecting anything but this, Dante gave Rain a sideways glance, white eyebrow shooting up in surprise.

"Yeah. Yeah, grateful is good," the red-clad twin said nodding unconvinced as he looked back at Vergil, carefully sitting down in a chair by the bed. Not ever remembering hearing the word grateful come out of his brother's mouth, a marring crease of worry appeared on his forehead.

"Do you know who I am?" He drawled out, leaning closer to Vergil so that he could see him clearly, waving his hand in front of his brother's face.

A brief temptation of lying or maybe a mere wish shot across Vergil's feeble wit as he lowered his sight to Dante. Saying no could have saved him a lot of grief and give him enough time to discipline all those insubordinate feelings that had no place in his customarily controlled mind. He could disappear and start anew somewhere very far away. Just a shame he had this bad habit of not running from impossible situations.

"Yes," Vergil confirmed with a painful grunt. To his irritation another kind of pain sprung to the surface, now that he thought of seeing Dante more.

_Right, so remembering me is so damn painful?_ A thin twisted grin jumped to Dante's lips as he watched his older brother grip whatever he was holding way too hard, his skin whitening from the horrific strain.

Noticing this, Rain unpeeled herself from the window, quickly stepping to the twins, her hands clasping over the footing of the bed. "Dante?" She averted his attention from Vergil, hoping he would listen to her a second time. Those sores on his brother's body had to be cut open right now if he wasn't to get horribly infected or fall unconscious from the pain, whichever would come first.

"Your brother needs rest. Why don't you go and get us all some lunch before we all pass out? Some nice, fresh food and coffee from a bakery I noticed a few blocks from your office? I will meantime put the clean bandages you brought to a good use and fix his head," she said softly but firmly with an encouraging smile.

_Fix his head? Yeah, that would do us all some good._ Dante let himself think, unconvinced of his brother's mental health, giving her a shake of his head as he muttered wonderingly, "You know, you seem to have the knack for saying just the right thing at the right time." He got up slowly, thinking that a bit of a fresh air would be great after all this hard work. Not to mention he had had to exert a lot of power while pulling Vergil from his nasty little raving and some tasty food would go a long way to help him recover.

"Here." He handed her a large bundle of bandages he pulled out from his coat pocket and looked at her with briefly hesitating eyes. "I should get some dinner too. Who knows when we would get the chance to get some," he confirmed more to himself, assuming that Rain would be safe now that Vergil shouldn't feel to be in any danger. After all if anything appeared the least dangerous it was Rain, right?

Lingering just enough to check that his brother wasn't reacting all that much, he turned around and walked out of the door.

Not even waiting for him to leave the office Rain quickly ran to the bathroom to get her instruments and then landed in the chair next to the bed, steeling her nerves as much as she could.

"Listen. From the looks you've been giving me I don't know if you want me to do this or not but I am doing it. While Dante is out, understand?" Rain said as if to a child, quickly glancing to the door to make sure that no one was there. She pulled out a scalpel from her black bag, holding it in front of Vergil with a prolonged staring pause.

"Have you seen me before?" She asked suddenly, her heart leaping up to her throat.

Cool as cucumber eyes drifted to the sharp surgical instrument and then to her.

"No," he let out a cold breath, his gaze assessing the unusual woman before him. He truly couldn't remember her although her somewhat sunlit face hovered ever so faintly in the corner of his mind. Somewhere right before he had fallen into that dark infernal cave… Leaving to resolve this matter later, a more acute question jumped to his attention as to what was she going to do with that little knife? Pondering about her curious question he reaffirmed his contact with Yamato's guard despite not quite knowing just how he could manage to pull the blade out before getting his throat sliced deep and hard.

Rain breathed out in slight relief yet couldn't help but feel a little on edge. So he didn't know who she was but what was he doing in that awful place? Did he know anything about her attackers or nothing at all? Why couldn't she simply ask? She should ask him now while she had her little sharp advantage…

Holding the scalpel in the air as he was assessing her with a wary interest, her hand began to shake. What was she doing? She could ask him anytime later and not while he was in pain and still likely confused. Giving herself an inward slap and a kick for a good measure, Rain couldn't believe she had almost threatened a gravely injured man in his bed with a scalpel held against his throat.

And now because of her loitering she had to move extra fast before Dante's return. Her finger sliding across the blunt top of the surgical instrument in a habit, Rain enhanced her calm as she leaned in to Vergil.

"Then you don't mind if I get rid of this infection?" She said with her eyebrows raised in question, two fingers ready to slide off the slim cover from his body.

Instead of answering he studied her for a moment as if slightly taken by surprise, fathomless blue eyes boring deep into her greens. Her mouth opening to urge him on, she found herself unable to make a sound feeling as if he was pulling her apart to see what was inside…What was he trying to see? A cold shiver peeled from her spine as he narrowed those chill making orbs even more yet for some inexplicable reason all she could do was have visions of Dante in panic should he find his brother under a brand new carpet of a bloody mess. Dammit, why was she worried so much?

Rain swallowed involuntarily. "I have some painkillers," she uttered suddenly through slightly clenched teeth to get him to agree, forcibly detaching her eyes from his. No matter how much he needed this, she couldn't do anything without his consent.

Yet at his firm silence she dipped into her medicine bag regardless when she felt a couple of cold fingers placed across her hand.

"No painkillers," he said curtly, his eyes closing as he relaxed back into the pillow, his narrow fingers sliding away from her warm skin.

What was that all about? Rain didn't notice her mouth hanging open as she slowly withdrew from her pouch filled with meds. Apart from him being totally crazy, had he just put her through some kind of a test? Aware of the seconds ticking away, she quickly shook the strange feeling from her mind. She put on her surgical gloves as a customary precaution, lifting off the duvet carefully so that it would not graze over the inflated marble sores covering his body.

Lowering the scalpel she cut into the first pool of the darkening liquid, pressing down the bandages to soak up the squirting blood. The smell was as pungent as Hell and she recoiled briefly, quickly stuffing the drenched cloth into a plastic waste bag she kept on hand. She stole a glance to Vergil to see a softened line of his lips, a serene expression adorning his face. Was he a masochist too? Rain pondered as he almost seemed to have smiled with every new cut that she had made.

Wasn't he feeling _anything_?

Oh he felt it all. The pain, overriding all his senses and all reason in his weakened state. The pain, so real and pure, now easing with every slice and every touch she made. Each time she cut him open an enormous pressure left his body, causing a blissful reaction that he was unable to contain. Each time she let the vile, rancid poison flow from his body, his mind gained a piece of freedom and strength to build his barricades once more. How long since he had been able to focus? To see what was real and what was a lie? To see into one's soul again like he had just attempted with her?

He had no reason not to trust Dante and his brother had mentioned she had saved him, curing the poison from his veins. Pride or no pride he had to admit she had a curious skill in the medical field and somewhat unyielding gentle stubbornness yet he had to be sure deception had not played its ugly role, especially since he still could remember only so little. Dante must have found him in those dungeons, the reason for his presence there remaining unanswered until he would find sufficient dignity to ask. If ever.

* * *

Thirty seven minutes later, two minutes after Rain had put down the scalpel, Dante opened the door with his elbow, kicking it closed behind him as he hauled in several bags of food. Balancing all the shopping in his hands, he danced his way towards the kitchen, thinking of howling 'honey I am back' jokingly when he spotted Rain emerge from the upstairs.

Her sleeves rolled up she had a large bag dangling from her hand filled with something reddish-black as she made her way down the stairs hurriedly, holding it like it was about to explode. She stopped in mid-flight when she saw Dante, her eyes flickering between him and the garage door.

"Hey, is everything OK? Whatcha got there?" Dante checked in passing, swaggering on with lunch and dinner.

"Oh, nothing," Rain said evasively, seeing her amazing oversight in forgetting she was not going to make it through the office space with the blood soaked bandages when she heard the door close downstairs. She had wanted to throw them in her car so that Dante wouldn't see any of it and now she was holding it all in plain sight catching his full attention. Nice one.

"Doesn't seem like nothing. Is something wrong?" He paused with concern, eyes narrowing at Rain. That bag felt very off to him and he could have sworn he had seen it move.

"Oh, no, no. Just some food I found in the car as I was really hungry but it seemed to have gone off so I was going to throw it back in," she said quickly, biting her lip, cursing at being such an inexperienced liar.

"Gone off? Ah you women get so sensitive when it comes to this kind of stuff. Bring it here. I am sure it will be fine. Besides I'm a master at eating bad food," he insisted with a quick wink, making his move to the kitchen.

"Um, Dante? It's really not that good." Rain rushed to the bottom of the stairs, ready to leg it to the garage before he noticed.

"Well, if you think so babe. But hey, let me just have a sniff. My nose is an expert on all things alive and dead, and I waste nothing for nothing if you get me," he laughed as he put down the bags, turning to see Rain half-way across the office, heading to a different door.

She stopped quickly seeing him see her, an innocent expression on her face as she took a few steps to Dante instead of her original destination. "I think that even I can tell that it's pretty much dead," she said with a half-smile, holding up the bag to his nose fleetingly before lowering it down.

"Holy crap on a pizza!" Dante exclaimed loudly, sharply withdrawing from the smell. He knew that scent very well though it had been tainted by something quite unusual, something really bad. "What the hell did you have in there? Rotten blue cheese and demon blood sandwiches?" He went along with her story.

"Close," she gave an uneasy chuckle. _Minus the sandwiches and cheese_, she added in her mind not being used to twisting the truth. "Maybe it's best I throw them out outside, ok?" Rain more said to herself relieved and turned for the front door instead.

"Wait a sec," Dante interrupted, making her stop with trepidation. She turned around determined to hold her ground when Dante waved to her with a devilish smirk dancing on his lips. "This needs something better than leaving it somewhere unattended. And I have just the thing," Dante beckoned her to come to yet another door she had not seen before.

Hidden behind a kink in the office walls lurked a solid oak bolted door which Dante opened almost ceremoniously, letting Rain step inside a very dark square room not blessed by any windows. Cobwebs hang from the ceiling like some ornate, ghostly chandeliers, dust floating in the air ethereally, settling ever so slowly on another layer already covering everything in sight.

Resisting the urge to sneeze, Rain glanced across the stacks of old brown boxes laid neatly and almost with care on handmade shelves as if each had its own place between the upward wooden posts.

"What is this place? Some kind of a special storage?" She asked slightly awed, finger dipping into the dust to uncover decorative writing she did not recognize on one of the boxes.

"You could say that. I only come here in emergencies," he explained, seeing her inspecting the layers of ancient dust as well as long time abandoned spider webs.

"You mean like in a sandwich emergency?" Rain couldn't help but give him a teasing look.

"Well you know, as far as bad goes, they are the worst," he cracked a wicked smile, bending down to slowly pull out a fairly large coffer from under the bottom shelf. An angry low cloud of dirt hurled across the floor from the collapsing cobwebs that connected the wooden chest to the wall.

"So they deserve the worst," Dante said mysteriously in a hushed voice, sending her a spooky glance.

_Oh My God, what can he possibly have in there to dispose of rotting blood?_ Rain pleaded inwardly, starting to feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Meet…Wait for it," he opened the beautiful, iron studded strongbox and pulled out the strangest swords she had ever seen. "Agni and Rudra."

_Ok, those two half-devils are both completely crazy_, Rain slumped in despair as she held onto Vergil's blood, gazing at Dante's swords, her eyes zoning onto a single speck of dust hovering in front of the one in red.

The speck of dust…That just ignited in a small puff of flame, tiny sparks flying in all directions. Then another, and another, coming to life with a bright orange flare.

"Aaaah, it's so nice to stretch again." Came from somewhere within the room.

Rain blinked as she turned to the voice she was sure was not Dante's. The small silver pummel of the red coloured serrated sword suddenly sprung out a face and she could swear the face just yawned, narrow spectral streams of hazy scarlet easing out from each interlocking segment like it was in fact stretching.

"So true brother. We should thank our master," the head of the pale blue sword pulled up a grin and whipped its scaly tail, dispatching a cloud of dirty dust thick into the room.

It had no effect however as Dante held his breath and Rain simply forgot to breathe, staring at the talking swords in sheer amazement.

"Ehrrm, stop it you two and don't think I didn't notice what you are doing," Dante scorned the kind of cute scimitars by banging their creepy little heads together so that they got the message.

"In fact I need your help," he said amusedly as he knew that asking them for a favour would bring a welcome spark into their otherwise dull life. "We have some rotten cheese and demon blood sandwiches to destroy," he winked at Agni meaningfully, turning around to point to the smelly bag Rain was still holding.

"Aaah, master needs us," Rudra grinned blissfully, its curves glowing blue. If Rain didn't know better it looked like the sword was about to wag its tail in anticipation.

"But brother, what is a sandwich?" Agni enquired, looking all puzzled at Rudra.

"Well sandwich is when…"

"Enough already. Do you want to be useful or not?" Dante interrupted, giving them an impatient glare.

"Oh useful. Yes we want to be useful," both scimitars said in unison, gazing at Dante expectantly.

"Then. Get. To. Work," he emphasized each word to them in turn, then hinted for Rain to place the bag on the floor and step aside. When she did so, Dante adjusted his stance so that he could hold Agni and Rudra on each side of the sandwiches easily before giving them both a nod.

A few moments passed filled with strange quietness when bewilderment rose in Rain's green eyes. She saw a bright flash as an orange ball of pure molten fire engulfed the blood, Rudra keeping the flames from spreading to the room with cool gusts of ice blue wind.

Then something even more unexpected happened, Rain's eyes widening as the contents of the bag began to writhe and stir, a shadowy black shape screeching horribly inside the cage made from the powerful flames. Agni closed its eyes, the colour of its fire changing, darkening to orange-red, hungry tongues of hot lava lashing out, dragging the enraged monster to its unseemly death. Soon only a dark curl of smoke remained hovering in the air, Rudra excited to put out all the remaining fire.

Standing silently as he exhaled with a quiet whistle, Dante turned to Rain. "Next time remind me never to eat your sandwiches," he commented brightly, giving her the impression that he never even thought it a little strange. Maybe he should tell her how close to danger she had come, but it was over now, wasn't it?

"Maybe I should stick to a more traditional cooking," Rain shrugged nervously, thinking he must have already seen things she could only dream about. Well, he did have two thinking, talking swords. Cute swords! Yet she couldn't even begin to wonder what that thing was and freaked out she was happy that the blood was finally gone.

"Thanks guys. Couldn't have done it without you," Dante praised the scimitars with a pat on their heads, readying to place them back in their special box.

"But master, we want to be more useful," both swords moaned in unison at their crimson-coated master.

"But you are useful. Being locked up well out of my sight," he said, sneezing out the last word as the disturbed dust finally caught up with his nose. "Hmmm. I tell you what. Why don't I leave you out for a while and you can clean up the place," he let go of them and slipped out of the room, hinting for Rain to do the same.

Still a little stunned, Rain walked to the door turning around suddenly wondering exactly how the swords were going to clean the storage room as they seemed more the type to destroy it if they had the chance. Her emerald eyes froze glazed with sheen of red and blue as she gaped at Rudra hovering in the air, happily sweeping the dust into perfect spinning spheres that Agni torched with singing balls of the lightest yellow fire.

Still processing what she had seen she walked out of the storage room without a further word, a flickering haze of colourful images sweeping through her mind in the form of a pair of cleaning swords. _Funny, they would come in ever so handy. I wonder if they could cook too?_ Speaking of cooking, she could do with some more normal activity at least for a few minutes, Rain convinced herself as she walked to the kitchen.

"Dante?" Rain knocked on the opened door slowly before entering, seeing him unpack countless packets of food. "Why don't you let me finish that, and then I will make us all a lovely big lunch," she offered almost tiredly as she came up to him, leaning against the counter somewhat uncomfortably.

Dante straightened up wanting to throw in a good comeback that involved her rotten sandwiches and hence her questionable cooking. Heck he didn't know if she could cook, but her pale and blank face told him that perhaps he should let her do what she wanted and get a well-deserved 'break'. Besides, it was time to pay a visit to his big old brother, by himself this time as so far they hadn't had the chance to have a proper chat together.

"Sure Rain, knock yourself out," he indulged her placing his big hand on her shoulder, then strode off, turning once inside the doorway. "Just make sure everything is dead before you serve it, okay?" He winked at her charmingly and then left the kitchen.

He jogged up the stairs, slowing down along the corridor until he stopped completely behind the bedroom door. A sudden unease tied his legs, a feeling of unknown enveloping his entire being. It had been quite a while…What if he had forgotten how to talk to his brother on friendly terms? Should he even talk on friendly terms? What if Vergil had turned too far towards the dark side? His behaviour so far hadn't thrown in any hints together with that morbid silence.

Steeling his resolve for whatever was to come Dante stepped inside and approached his brother who lay quietly in the bed. The bandage was gone from around his head, a marginal depression lined with reddish healing skin where the bullet had exited the night before. Though his eyes were lightly shut, Dante knew well that Vergil was quite aware of his presence.

Not dwelling on instant mutual explanations, Dante couldn't let go just one thing freshly on his mind. Taking a deep breath he moved closer and sat himself into the bedside chair.

"Hey," he said rather stiffly, rolling his eyes at such a lame start.

He shook his head, and rubbing the base of his nose to compose his thoughts he leaned forward together with the chair, deciding to go straight to the point.

"Listen. That old blood Rain got out of you was freaking darn infected. Dude, I mean in a really bad, demonic screwed up way infected. I had to use some powerful devil fireworks to destroy a baby demon that suddenly popped out all raving and screaming. You are lucky the girl didn't throw it in her car or we might have had some big uninvited party on our hands. Don't tell her that I knew. I guess she tried not to upset me. But if that blood had more time to go on a riot…Anything might have happened. I mean, what the hell happened to you man? You used to be more careful considering who we both are."

Dante sat silently, palms joined together under his chin as he balanced the chair on its front legs, waiting for a response that wasn't coming.

"Seems you are not in a mood to talk, huh?" he said finally, peeling himself from the chair disappointedly.

"Wait," a gruff voice came from the bed, pale blue eyes rolling up tiredly.

Funny, Vergil thought broodingly how the human body malfunctioned when he couldn't control it. First those dreadful feelings had hidden the physical pain, and now when the torment was near all gone he had to be pretty much dying from hunger and thirst. What else would come after drinking and eating something, if ever that came, he really didn't want to know.

"Must you start with the obvious and yet miss it completely?" He grumbled in a deeper voice than usual as his throat felt like a desert in a drought without anything even wildly refreshing for what felt like a lifetime.

When Dante stayed frozen half way between sitting and standing, blank expression splayed out across his face, Vergil reiterated his small demand by pointing towards his neck, then by making drinking gestures with his fingers.

"Oh," the younger got the hint, almost wanting to kick himself for apparently missing the obvious when he stopped his thoughts right there, looking back at Vergil. "Oh, hang on. Did you just ask me for something? Cause I wasn't too sure." A devil's grin played across Dante's face as he put a hand to his ear.

There was a pregnant pause when Vergil's eyes somewhat softened to a shade of brighter moonstone blue, a making of a sarcastic little smile forming on his face. "You want to talk or not?" He didn't relent, not about to change things that were simply unchangeable, like a habit not to ask nicely.

Dante made him wait for a prolonged moment on purpose before letting out a grumbling sigh. "Okay, but I'm not keeping the tap open indefinitely you know, in case that's what you think it's going to be."

Taking the small nod from Vergil as a good enough answer, Dante got up from his chair and disappeared into the bathroom to fish out a cup from the wall cupboard and fill it with cold water. He then strolled back, masterfully spilling no drop and handed the drink to Vergil.

Giving the clear liquid a good languid onceover like it was some eternal-life giving ambrosia Vergil took the cup in between both hands, bringing the water to his heavily cracked lips ever so slowly, carefully, savouring the feel of the cold freshness that endowed his nose before dipping the whole lot into his throat eagerly.

Watching him do a ritual like that, a little thing in life Dante always did without thinking, he couldn't hold the chilling shiver from sliding down his spine at the feeling of the horrors that brought someone so proud down to his bare knees. He had to stop and wonder what kept Vergil so calm and composed after a time no human man would be able to withstand for even a fraction of the time. Or was he in such a complete mess he didn't even know what had happened to him?

"Some fresh coffee and food is coming soon," Dante mentioned in a softer tone, thinking he may have been a little harsh yet he had to remind himself he couldn't let his guard down even for one second when it came to his brother.

"I never thought I'd ever see you again," Dante murmured suddenly, looking straight into Vergil's eyes, slightly edged with more life. The words came out without his own consent and it was too late to take them back.

Vergil paused with the empty cup lingering at his lips, eyes raising slowly to Dante. "Would you have found me if you didn't?" Vergil pronounced with a hint of reluctance, peering at Dante, lowering the finished drink from his stern mouth. He knew the answer but wanted to hear it for himself.

"How could I. I thought you were dead," Dante leaned back instinctively, as if expecting a bad reaction. "Either way, I didn't find you. It was Rain. She found you in that demonville castle. I just happened to be there," Dante said in a hushed, serious voice, acutely aware that so far if it hadn't been for Rain Vergil would still be pretty much dead, either five years ago, as far as he had known at least, or the night before. Only he didn't know whether to be mad at himself for assuming the worst or at Vergil for letting him think the worst.

Probing his brother with slanted eyes, Vergil took in what Dante had said, finding it both intriguing and disturbing. His brother assuming him dead was nothing to be debated, but the woman being the instrument of his discovery and with all her knowledge of the poison he had been infected with, his brother had not found all this even remotely peculiar?

"Why did you go to that place?" the older twin inquired, his thoughts seeping deeper into an abyss of uncertainty. If it had been her they entered the castle for, what was her business with the sorts that took the meaning of a monster to a whole new level? Had she been in on all of this, pretending to find him and cure him to gain his trust only to obtain some sick pleasure out of his further degradation or to perhaps steal his blood? Take his blood…

"Yeah well, that's a long story. Let's just say Rain needed help with some demons. It all seemed like they were spawning from that nasty place."

_Yes, distrust has rarely played a role in your actions, brother._ Vergil confirmed to himself, his mind conjuring more scenarios that felt logical to the life he had been surviving. It all seemed like too much of a coincidence. Perhaps she had lured Dante in under false pretence to make his rescue seem more plausible? But why?

"And did you find what you were looking for?" Vergil drawled in a dark, monotonous voice.

"Nope. I had a hard enough time to drag your sorry ass out of there to be asking questions." Dante cracked a soft grin.

"I see, and yet you have no questions to ask of me?" Vergil inquired in his unrushed manner, voice back to deep velvet from the refreshing drink. He handed Dante the empty cup, his hard set eyes, darkened at the edges, never leaving Dante's.

"We all have questions." Dante took the finished drink from Vergil, looking at the plastic as he swayed its lightness by the rim in between his fingers. He lifted the small container in front of him and turned it horizontally, showing the empty end to his older brother.

"But it's better to start with an empty cup and fill it slowly, rather than fill it too fast and let it run over." He said, the smallest smile rising to his lips as he slipped a meaningful deep look to Vergil from under his long silvery lashes. He had no idea if what he had just said would have the right effect but it was the only thing he could think of saying without letting Vergil know that he was simply afraid to ask anything. He'd rather find things out for himself and only then judge if they were true.

Vergil left his gaze on Dante, a flush of frozen amazement registering on his perspiring, lightly heated face.

"My my. Have you grown," Vergil concluded quietly as he stared at his twin, unable to comprehend where this wisdom of his had come from even though he hadn't quite gotten the point. Must have been that headache blooming in his head. At the least though Dante didn't pry and that was quite new. Not much longer than five years ago his little brother's mouth would have run away with self-righteousness and a lot of pestering, arrogantly teasing ego. _But now, look at you. You let your brother have his dignity even after all that foolishness he has done._

It was unsettling to him, seeing Dante after all this time, sitting there so at ease as if the past five years had been merely a bad dream. He never really understood this forgiving and undemanding nature that could have passed only from his mother to his little brother, yet missing the dark twin completely. Dante seemed to have accepted what had happened and was ready to move on while all that Vergil began to think about as soon as his thoughts gained even the slightest coherence was how to kill whoever had betrayed him, once he remembered whom.

_I have no words Dante._

"Look, you got yourself into a bad place. Don't we all? So consider it done and dusted," Dante made known for confirmation that he had no intention to take Vergil on some kind of a guilt trip, extending his brother a strong, supportive hand.

Feeling his mind starting to disentangle from the rush of unwanted emotions taking an unscheduled flight in his head, breaking in through the makeshift walls he was able to botch-up so quickly, Vergil simply grunted in response.

He grabbed onto Dante's arm, thinking that being in bed had been as much to blame for his morbid mood, giving him the creeps. "Help me up?"

Dante didn't need him to ask, already pulling Vergil to sit upright, having to steady him for a while as he swayed as if he had drunk five barrels of beer. Vergil clenched his teeth at the pain that shot through his head with the sudden motion, grabbing Dante hard so as not to pass out.

Feeling rather awkward being subjected to this degrading helplessness, Vergil's eyes flew in overwhelming alarm to the door at the sensation of a vague movement or perhaps a vibration in the floor. He stilled instantly with a clenched jaw as he saw Rain standing there holding a tray with something steaming, her green orbs quickly averting until she moved away from the door and from his view.

Well, at least she knew when a man needed some dignity he thought in a frozen relief, needing to get out of the confines of the bed even more. He shut his eyes briefly, willing his legs to move and drop down to the ground.

"What are you doing dude? I don't think you are in any shape to be leaving," Dante protested in confusion, trying to shove him back onto the bed, finding a surprising amount of resistance.

Vergil jerked his hand from Dante's, grabbing the edge of the bed instead. "And there I thought you understood," Vergil growled in a small peak of aggravation, giving him an injured look. "I will eat at the table if it kills me."

"Yeah, you always do something till it kills you," Dante mumbled offhandedly, pausing as the weight of his words sunk into his mind. Apparently it had sunken into his brother's just the same.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Vergil said morosely, eyes tilting to Dante in a darkened glare.

"I think you know what it means. But just in case you are still a bit slow…Maybe let your not-so-lil-bro help out now and then, huh?" Dante held his own grounding glare, locking his arm with Vergil's to let him know he wasn't letting him waltz, -or well stagger away in this state on his own.

"I don't need…"

"Here," Dante stuffed Yamato in Vergil's hand, grabbing the blue coat from the chair to throw it over Vergil's shoulders. "At least you won't look so…Fragile."

"Well, evidently I need not worry with you fussing over me," Vergil grumbled.

"No, you don't," Dante flashed a small victorious smile.

"Then get me to that table," Vergil grunted irritably as being helped like a cripple was not in the least appealing. Yet as his twin hoisted him up effortlessly, supporting nearly all his weight, Vergil found this strength strangely comforting, already feeding into his weakened cold body.

Perhaps there was something he had always overlooked Vergil begun to ponder as they hobbled out of the bedroom and down the stairs. There was strength in good allies, and more so in allies one could trust. Although trusting no one had been wise, not relying on his own blood had been a mistake. After all how foolish he had been to anticipate gaining a strong ally from his dead father when he had a powerful brother by his side all along?

Still, did Dante have to insist on being so awfully annoying?

His eyes suddenly landed on the table laid with all sorts of delicious looking food and his heart rejoiced. Yes, powerful allies with the knowledge of cooking held even more value. Shame he knew so little about that girl and as it seemed it was about the same amount of knowledge as Dante had. But that was all going to change. And very soon.

Vergil dived into the food discreetly, trying not to choke as his eyes wanted to devour everything all at once yet his stomach could handle only small amounts at a time. Almost instantly though he was feeling stronger as if every little bite filled some gaping hole keeping his body from being able to function properly.

Only after he ate nearly three plates of melting seared tuna, tender pieces of the leanest steak accompanied by heaps of jasmine scented rice and hoisin sauce noodles, he noticed a third person sitting at the table.

The woman, Rain, ate quietly and delicately, her expression calm and peaceful as her eyes concentrated on choosing the food rather than observing the twins. How curious she did not find it necessary to talk, not to mention ask questions about someone she had found in a place crawling with her said enemies. Oblivious he had paused with a mouthful of meat hanging on a fork half way to his mouth, Vergil observed Rain with studying interest, assessing the possible motives for her presence in Dante's life.

"Please ask your question as I would not want to keep you from finishing your meal." A gentle, touch caustic female voice reached into his subconscious, tearing him away from his perpetual thoughts. Feeling a tad irked at her downrightness, Vergil put down the fork and glanced at Dante with a surprised look.

Giving him no help this time, Dante shrugged silently, letting him know with a thin smile that he was on his own, at least when it came to protection from women.

A negligible crease adorned the top of Vergil's nose as he turned back to his plate, reaching for a napkin to wipe his mouth. He drew out the moment before looking up at Rain.

"Forgive my improper manners. I should remember to speak up in the presence of a lady instead of making her uncomfortable with silence. And since you insist on me asking, I will ask. What exactly did you think you were accomplishing by getting to know my brother and dragging him along to that place? What did you expect to find precisely? In fact," his tone was teasingly sarcastic. "What exactly are you getting out of this?" He put the napkin back on the table, looking at her stark still.

While Dante rolled his eyes at his brother's infamous forthrightness and a habit to jump straight into a distrustful tone, Rain swallowed her food rather quickly not expecting to be attacked by someone she had saved…And had just cooked a meal for. Where did all that hostility come from? Was he crazy? She never dragged Dante anywhere, nor was she getting anything out of it. Well, maybe a life and a much needed friendship, but…What the hell again? How could he think such things of her without even getting to know her? _Maybe that crazy dark haired woman wasn't so crazy in trying to kill him after all?_

"Listen. I forced no one to do anything they didn't want to do and I never asked to be attacked by anyone, including the demons or you. It's not my fault the hell-spawn came from the same place as you, although now I can't help but not be surprised." Rain's green eyes flashed with anger and hurt, her voice holding back a tremor.

Taken aback by her outright display of pure displeasure instead of coming up with some lame excuses which is what he had expected, Vergil somewhat lowered his voice. "Given the circumstances you cannot blame me for such speculations. How could I not think it an implausible coincidence to be found by my own brother who took me for dead for over five years?"

"And yet that is all it was. An _unfortunate_ coincidence," Rain said grimly, almost starting to regret finding him.

"Hey guys, I hate to say this but I really did all this willingly," Dante pointed out incredulously, waving hands in front of him to gain attention, getting none from either of the other two at the table.

"If that's so then how do you explain your rather expert knowledge of the poison?" Vergil asked dryly, his face setting into a mold of ice.

At that question Dante stiffened together with Rain. He had wanted to find that out himself while giving her a chance to speak freely and when ready, not too soon when _none_ of them were ready. Damn you brother.

"Vergil," Dante warned tersely that his twin was moving too fast and going too far when he felt a hand being placed gently over his arm.

"No, it's OK Dante. You were both going to find out sooner or later and I need you to know," she said in a quieter voice, quickly grasping for more courage to look straight into both of their suddenly luminous eyes. Dante's shining with a hint of apprehension and concern, whether for her she couldn't say, whilst Vergil's flickering with a daring desire to find out the truth no matter what the consequences.

"I..," She sunk her teeth into her lower lip, her mind starting to spin as her vision tried to break free from the drowning whirlpool of the dark twin's challenging eyes.

"Well?" The older half-devil pushed for an answer, giving her the creeps more and more. It was Dante again who came to her rescue, giving her a glance of encouragement with a promise that he wouldn't let anything happen to her no matter what she had to say.

How could she have ever thought that Vergil would be a good protector when all he had done so far was nearly kill her with the looks in his eyes? How could she have been so stupid to believe in the power of a darkened mind all the while Dante had shown nothing but sincerity and good will in his desire to help her?

Anger now lapping for the tips of her soles, the extra courage she needed came to her fast and she dug her nails into the table. "I know the poison because I helped to develop it. It was my own family who invented this evil to fight a losing war. And it worked. It worked so well that we had to destroy it in the end to preserve whatever still kept us human. That's why I know how to cure it, and that's why I am so ashamed to speak of it," she hurled her anguish at the two half-devils, giving no thought to their reactions at that very moment as the mounting weight crumbled fast from her shoulders, feeling so liberating she could scream.

Lost in the euphoria of a terrible dark secret being freed from her mind, Rain remained immobile, breathing heavily as her eyes finally focused, falling back on the twins. She nearly heaved at the looks in their eyes.

Dante seemed to float in a silent shock, holding something back that could otherwise leap forth right there and rip out her throat. And Vergil…His gaze became even worse, chillingly frozen as if the whole Hell had just passed through his soul and left behind an unfeeling, bloodthirsty monster.

The silence came close to unbearable when a horrid guttural roar filled the room, Vergil standing up with a hard shove of his chair, Yamato flashing in his hand. Rain started with a tug in her heart, Dante readying to honour his promise when Vergil simply turned and limped to the exit, opening the door out to the street.

Late afternoon sun's rays briefly painted his hair golden-silver before a strong gust of wind threw them to all sides and with a flare of his coat he was gone.

"Rain. Maybe I should have said this earlier but whoever has that poison now is doing something with Vergil's blood. Something so dangerous it could have killed you, and took a whole wallop of devil power to wipe out. And he thinks you are involved. We have to go after him," Dante urged grimly, feeling a change in the air. Without a further word he gripped the hilt of his broadsword and slung it over his back as he followed his brother out through the opened door.

Taken aback, stunned and gutted, Rain took a few moments to steady her breathing, about to go after Dante when she saw the sky darken, menacing clouds swallowing the defenceless sun. Cursing at her damned liberation, she quickly ran to the garage to fetch her katanas somehow feeling that whatever was about to happen outside wasn't going to be safe. Something was brewing in the air, something very bad.

The first rain drops fell on the grey pavement, catching in his flawlessly white hair as he rushed his way across the empty street, focused eyes catching a glimpse of blue turning the corner one block in front of him. Dante closed the distance in a flash of a red haze, slowing down as he saw his brother in a wider square a few paces ahead, dragging himself along a red brick wall.

The rain suddenly came down fast, battering the buildings and the concrete ground, streams of water pooling in every flat of the pavements, breaking through the dirt and dust spewed out by the manmade city. The water, pure and unspoiled began to kill the polluted air, bringing up the blue twin's face to breathe in its fleeting freshness until the invading wind whipped the water into countless lashes biting into his skin like frozen knives.

Turning in disappointment from the cooling droplets falling so uniformly from the swirling darkness above, Vergil stumbled forward, stepping into a small pool of water that splashed against his bare feet.

"Hey bro! Where do you think you are going?" A voice carried on the wind, somewhat distant in the din of nature's fury drowning all the sounds. "What are you doing man? It's not like it's a great day for a stroll." This time, the voice of his brother was right behind him and he turned around, raindrops flying from his marble face, disappearing in the shallow flood moving across the ground.

"Do you recall your little chit-chat earlier where you accused me of not being careful with my blood?" Vergil said loudly over the noise of falling water, his blue coat darker, soaking from the merciless rain. "Well, you were right."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Dante took a step closer, blinking off the raindrops from his lashes so that he could see his brother's stony face.

"I cannot say how much they took, but you have seen what they can do with my blood. I am going back to collect what is mine, rip that poison out and pour it down their own throats," Vergil said solemnly, his mouth tightening into a narrow line as he looked at his brother before intending to carry on.

"I can't believe this," Dante threw his hands in the air, Vergil stopping halfway turned. "You are doing it again. You are going off all on your own, getting yourself all worked up…and then killed, and you haven't even finished lunch!" He yelled in frustration, giving Vergil exasperated eyes.

There was a pause filled with the hum of wind-swept rain, then Vergil turned fully to his brother. "Then come with me. Come with me and we can both finish this right now."

"You are crazy. I thought earlier that you wanted to kill Rain when all you want to do is to kill yourself. You don't even have boots on and you want to totter half-dressed into a castle swarming up to its ramparts with disgusting, stinking demons? Well, at least you just had a shower or I'd say you'd fit right in."

Vergil stilled in stunned hesitance, lowering his head to look at his wet, freezing toes, wiggling them a few times before raising his eyes at Dante with indiscretion.

"Perhaps I have been a little hasty," Vergil admitted mirthlessly, then added after a pause, "I could do with a real shower first." The corner of his mouth lifted up.

"Yeah, but maybe not just yet," the younger twin murmured pensively, eyes narrowing at the cloudy sky. "We seem to have a company." His chin made a gesture towards the horizon between the rows of abandoned buildings lining each side of the street they stood on.

Feeling it now too, the repugnant stench of Hell carried on the random gusts of wind, Vergil snapped his head to the heavens, wet hand wrapping around Yamato's soaking hilt.

Both twins stood in silence, watching as an erratic blood-red speck floated high in the air, becoming prominent against the mixing clouds of light and dark, fluttering up and down like a fragile butterfly caught in a sudden downpour. The spot grew larger with every passing moment, creating swirls in the air as it moved jerkily towards the twins, now more resembling a carnival Chinese dragon gliding grotesquely and ominously on the wind of the late autumn afternoon.

"I have seen this thing before," Vergil said in a cold voice, observing the monster's distinct movements when its sudden screech tore through the air, bursting the glass panes on the nearby buildings. Vergil stepped to the side as the wind blew some of the pieces of sharp glass in their direction while Dante whipped out Rebellion, ready to shred some pieces of his own.

"Then let's say hello," Dante said with dark expectation, ready to duck as the massive creature neared, now almost on the top of their heads, its appearance truly resembling an ancient relic rejected by Hell itself for being way too ugly.

Dante looked up, his mouth opening at the sight that obscured the sky, darkening the surrounding landscape even more. Two pairs of scanty wings coated in a leathery membrane held the creature in the sky, giving the demon an erratic, eerie flight as if held by strings. Bony ribs run through the wings like skeletal fingers trying to support the bulk of the behemoth.

It was the body though that gave an impression of a creature not of this world. Black veins crisscrossed the membrane thickly, pulsating like a ghostly light, continuing their spooky dance throughout the rest of the dragon resembling form. The rest of the body though was not so ghastly but more so comical, jam-packed to the skin with a jelly-like substance, making the creature appear like a chewed up candy that had gone bad and been spat out.

Its tail in contrast was scary the most, heavily armoured with a row of imposing spikes adorning the snaking end. Four massive legs ended with huge protruding claws, its head holding the most massive spike of all, one that a rhino of its size would be proud of. The monstrosity didn't miss a trick in its ugliness with its repulsive set of dark scarlet fangs, dripping an indescribably horrid pitch-black substance, all embedded in a werewolf shaped, heavily extended jaws.

"If I am not mistaken, it appears the Queen has found another use for one of her favourite pets," Vergil hissed out in a derisive tone, Yamato's blade greeting the sheets of water rushing from the tempestuous sky. So, the inglorious whore wasted no time to unleash one of her worst to track him down. How could he have almost forgotten that he needed to return the kind favour and thank the Queen personally for her great feats of wickedness? Hell have mercy, he was going to have his work cut out for him in the coming days.

Yet the behemoth ignored both of the brothers completely and passed high above the tips of the twin's swords, turning the corner easily like a majestic whale to disappear from their view.

The Sparda's sons exchanged befuddled looks when Dante remembered what exactly lay behind that particular block of buildings.

"It's going for the office!" He exclaimed with widened eyes, Vergil quickly catching on.

* * *

Rain ran out of the office breathlessly, her swords firmly in her hands, streams of rainwater instantly falling onto her hair and down her face. She stopped in mid-step to look up at the blackened-marble sky, muscles freezing at the petrifying feeling that suddenly shackled her to the ground.

She let out a breath of cold trepidation, raindrops detaching from her eyelashes and trembling open lips, a heavy gust of wind challenging her already flimsy pose when she saw the monstrous demon emerge from around the corner. The creature filled nearly the entire street when it opened its wide jaws in a silent roar, a signal of detecting its prey in its hellish blood-red eyes.

_Oh God, I truly hate the rain…_

_**A/N:**__ I have been a bit distracted lately so I hope this chapter is up to scratch. Most thanks to Night Companion that I have been able to post and not mess it up completely. Please let me know what you think? Oh and if you are missing some more action, it is coming in the next chapter, plus the return of one other DMC member. Guess who? So till next time! And enjoy if you can. :D And review! Please._


	7. Turn of Fates

**CH7 – Turn of fates**

She froze in fear, her stomach turning inside out as she gazed into the battering rain. It had always been the rain, the heavy, merciless kind that had dragged her into a state of hopeless trepidation ever since eight years ago, making her mind flood with images she begged to forget and leave behind.

She wanted to back away from the murky street, step inside and close the door yet had been rooted to the ground by invisible chains. There was nothing, not even a danger when it rained like this. Even the monster just filled the background of an already frightening scene.

Rain gazed blankly at the blood-tinted eyes, as they meant nothing but a speck of colour in the black wall that grew in her mind. There was no end waiting for her life, only darkness and blood of those she had known, in every single raindrop falling endlessly from the treacherous sky. She couldn't scream to will away this nature's fury, to stop the nightmare from invading her mind.

A gust of wind brushed through her hair and she stood motionless as her imminent death sailed past her senses, needing only to open its wide jaws and swallow her whole. She did not move as the wind became somewhat warm against her skin, the smell of burning falling on insensitive nose, light as bright as sun blinding her already blind eyes.

There could be no such light in her personal dark.

"Move!" A haze of a voice resounded all around her as if melting in the warmth that turned into searing heat. A thunder of a massive explosion shook her body and made her step backwards in the swell of the wind.

"Move already or I'll have to blast that office of his!" Rain snapped her head to the voice that became distinctly female, piercing and incisive, coming from somewhere higher than she stood.

But why was she supposed to move?

She brought up her arm to shield her face, eyes clearing to a sight of a burning dustbin lying on its side, a column of spiralling smoke rising high into the overcast sky. There was something moving above the reaches of the smoke, as if swimming in the rain like a whale in the sea.

The thing, a shadow larger than the buildings around her was floating away gracefully…Straight at the small-looking figure that stood on top of a nearby sloping roof. The figure held what looked like a large weapon still smoking over one shoulder, readying to use it again in a desperate haste.

The explosion. That was real…

Rain's eyes grew wide as a making of a cold shiver rushed down her spine. What on earth was she doing? How could she let her stupid fears endanger someone else? She had never let it get this bad. She felt anger rise in place of her fear, pushing it away like autumn blown leaves.

She ran out onto the pavement with clenching jaw, legs moving fast as she followed the creature that flew towards the open square. "Here! Hey, I'm over here you rotting, stinking whale!" She yelled as loud as she mustered, hands waving in the air.

Suddenly the stink of gun powder took over her nose, together with something she had never smelled before. Running fast through the scattered debris and burning dust, she saw as something putrid dripped down from the beast's maws, almost invisibly amongst the downpour streaming from the blackened sky.

She stopped briefly to crouch down, just long enough to inspect those oily stains that lay splattered in closeness across the ground. Not even wanting to touch them, she recoiled fast as the stink of a dozen skunks hit her senses. _No doubt a very bad demon_, she thought. They always reeked the worst. Rain turned away, glancing momentarily as she thought she saw something stir in the shadows.

Quickly shaking her head as there was nothing there, she jumped to her feet and forced her greens to peer through the rain. The water dripped over her eyelashes and down into her eyes, diluting the images she was trying to see. Yet the monstrous demon was hard to miss, already nearing the corner of the street, appearing afloat right in front of the woman standing so clearly on the rooftop.

Rain stilled as the woman seemed distraught even from the distance, looking at her weapon in thought as if something was amiss. This must have cost her time she didn't have, and was now exposed and vulnerable in plain sights of the beast.

Rain knew straight away that she had seen her before. She had seen that cannon shoved right in her face, not so long ago. That stranger who had tried to kill without emotion, fearless and daunting, was now facing her own death and there was nothing Rain could do. The huntress with raven hair, soaking in the relentless rain, froze with widened eyes as a yellow-red supernova eased out of the demon's extending grisly jaws.

Lady dove to the side in the nick of time, sliding down the wet surface of the tiles to a void of a long vertical wall. She grabbed the guttering at the last moment, kicking her legs off the wall to leap to a flat part of an adjacent building. She landed hard and rolled to her feet, tripping to get away from the monster's swiping maw. Angered its prey's had eluded its wrath thus far, the demon roared and bit a chunk out of the roof, tiles and cement flying to the ground.

The sky-whale already reloaded as it took in a heavy breath, ready to hurl a fresh balefire at the female hunter who took a flimsy cover behind a chimney that didn't even cover her whole.

"Here!" Rain screamed with all she had out of sheer desperation as she had nothing to draw the demon's attention away from the woman. She threw a large stone she picked up from a broken pavement but the rock didn't even reach half way to the monster, falling harmlessly back down with a clutter.

_Oh Dear God._ _Please get away._ A cold breath escaped Rain, curling into the falling water. Her heart pounded hard and loud as she was forced to watch the woman brace for the impact helplessly, when the beats in her chest turned louder than they should, almost as if gunshots thundered over the downpour and echoed deep into the distant darkness.

Rain swiped her eyes across the street, seeing as the demon, and something else, had opened fire.

Shots as red as blood pierced the air and crossed an inferno hurled at the tall brick chimney, the bullets sinking into the scarlet tissue of the monster's eye.

Lady fell with flailing arms and legs as her cover crumbled to dust, tipping over the edge of the broken roof. She plummeted into the shadows of the six storey building together with a spray of brick, tile and glass, hands working fast to ready her grappling hook that she had fastened to her trusty cannon. But it was too late.

The demon threw its head backwards, blinking its eyes to absorb the bullets, then with a grunt laced with mirth it advanced its whole body to the new prey. Lady felt a nasty pinch of stench as two giant nostrils brushed past her face, knocking Kalina Ann out of her hands. She tried to grab onto the horrid jaw as it flew by, but the bastard just had to open its stupid mouth. Damned demon!

"Do join the ranks of Hell, human!" the monster bellowed in a hollow voice, letting out a horrid, dissonant laugh, viscous black saliva dripping down on everything below.

"Whoa, that thing can speak?" Came a loud, jovial voice from the ground where Lady was heading, and she felt a sudden rush of hope followed by a doubt that impaled her guts. What if he wasn't there to catch her? What if he was still too mad? _Dammit._

Lady closed her eyelids, her hair billowing in the fatal pull of gravity, when she felt a slight jolt of her body, way too soft for her to have hit the ground. A relieved smirk bloomed on her face as she opened her dual-coloured eyes...And saw Vergil.

"By all means, do drop in…Mary," he drawled in a velvety voice, ignoring her instant peevish glare that promised violent harm if he was to call her that again. He watched her squirm for a short moment with detached amusement before dropping her down to her feet.

"Lady," Dante said in a curt acknowledgement, bending down to inspect a stain that sparkled right next to her red lace-up boots. He pulled back as fast as he ignored the demon, straightening up as he turned to the two with a casual flare of his long but light trench.

"Whew, so that's what the stink was, eh? You think the Hell dumped this thing out, taking the human world for a toilet?" Dante holstered his guns with a rapid spin, waving a hand in front of his nose.

"And what would that make you, dear brother? The legendary janitor?" Vergil strolled beside Dante, catching Lady in his eye as she hurried to pick up her devil-cannon from the broken pavement.

"Ahhh, your insults precede you, son of Sparda," the demon howled in its vast, far reaching voice as it landed on the street, ten-inch talons clicking on the ground mere inches from the three. Its mirth somewhat changed to a darker note when it flicked its blood-shot eyes to Vergil.

"And you…Your Queen sends her regards." The demon extended its stinking nozzle downward, disgusting fangs nearly touching Vergil's snow-white hair.

"You are deeply mistaken," Vergil said disdainfully, not moving an inch. "I have no Queen, Ghaul. And she sent you, not greetings. I trust you know the difference." His breath came out in a long hiss.

"Why don't we all skip this yapping and get on with the shooting," Lady called as she emerged from behind, slowly sliding Kalina Ann forth to the demon's nose. She gleaned the haughty sideways glance from Vergil and a distrustful look of warning from Dante, and a devious smile graced her face.

"Don't! Please just don't!" Rain let out in desperation, coming up behind the gruesome tail the demon swayed heavily from side to side. She gazed at the three with pleading eyes, disbelieving how willing and dauntless they all were in the face of certain death by this unprecedented, surreal foe she had not seen the likes of before.

Didn't they see that they were all likely to be killed? She couldn't bear to let any more souls die on her behalf. Just how many had it been so far? She wasn't even able to tell. But one conclusion settled clearly in her mind. This had to stop. Her troubles were not worthy other people's lives. She had to get this thing's attention now and run away, as far from here as she could, and never return, dead or alive.

"I'm here, you stupid son of a bitch! So come and get me!" She yelled at the demon's back, her katanas flying out to impale the wagging tail. The steel clashed with a spike harder than stone, causing the blades to shake in her hands.

A vicious laughter broke more window panes, glass falling down like icicles with a jingle. "Aren't you all so entertaining? I should thank you for making it so easy. Three flies with one stone. And this small insolent human will make a decent trophy on my wall," the demon's voice thundered gleefully as it regarded Lady superciliously.

"Who're you calling small?" Lady snarled, a wrathful shine flickering in her bi-coloured eyes. Her rocket launcher's sizeable barrel slipped further into the demon's equally large snout.

As if the air suddenly picked up an opposite wind, the blood-shot eyes gained a shade of whirring black as a puff of eerie steam curled out in anger form one of its nostrils. With lightning swiftness that caught them all off guard, the behemoth swung to the side, bone armoured tail flying low in a giant arch. It scraped into the wall with piercing spikes, knocking the hunters hard to the ground.

Lady felt her shoulders nearly come off their sockets when the cannon jerked to the side, diverting the launched missile into a nearby building. The resulting blinding flash erupted through the streams of rain, lighting up the windows that still held together as if the hot sun suddenly popped out of the stormy sky. Burning debris exploded like fireworks into the street, firing into the group of fallen hunters.

Dante was first to flip to his feet, his custom guns lifted and aimed at Ghaul, red coat flaring brightly in the dying explosion, when a shrapnel of spiralling rod flew right through his side, clattering behind him on the ground. He faltered just as he squeezed the triggers, and a shower of whistling bullets met with the behemoth's fleshy snout instead of its eyes where he had been aiming.

He let out an irritated growl and Dante could swear he heard the same from Lady. He spared her a fast glance to see her get to her feet in one swift movement, shielded all the while by Kalina Ann that she now flung over her shoulder and run atop a couple of large containers to gain a higher advantage. She slipped two subs from under her black and white camouflage coat she was wearing and trained them at the demon's unmistakably ugly head.

"Die, son of a demon!" A war started as bullets showered the air, competing with droplets of rain as they lodged in the dozens into the monster's skull and eyes, Dante adding his own vigorous share. Yet there was no sign of blood or even a single roar of pain, only an infernal laughter that blew up red sparks into the dull grey of the square.

"Your efforts are meaningless, puny humans. I am the hand of the Queen of Hell, and I shall carry her indisputable reign to the worms of this world," Ghaul mocked as it pumped more of the revolting black substance into its mouth and set the putrid oil on fire with its dragon glands. It sent the searing load at Dante and Lady, turning with one flap of its bat-like wings to extend the still smouldering jaws to Rain.

Meantime in a shadowed corner, Vergil blinked his eyes to regain his vision, a deep frown pushing into his face as he unpeeled from the hard as ice wall he had been flung into. He pressed a hand against his thigh and felt trickling warmth that welled between his fingers.

The smell of melting metal and boiling water flooded the blue-devil's senses and his eyes instantly swept about the scene before him. To his left was a half molten dustbin with Lady crouching behind against the opposite wall, Dante seemingly angered was swapping his guns for his favourite broadsword, his ruby coat adorned with burning holes. The woman, Rain, he couldn't quite see for the billowing black smoke swelling inside the square.

His fingers quickly found Yamato and he pulled himself up against the wall, fresh blood trickling from his forehead and down his face. The fall must have reopened his unhealed wound, he thought, swearing the bitch of Hell would pay for his every single wound. Without a flinch he grabbed the piece of glass sticking from his thigh and pulled it out, watching stern and emotionless through the dispersing black haze as the Hand of Betrayal lunged for the female human, seemingly hell-bent on ripping her apart.

Yet the small nimble blonde didn't seem afraid, rather frustrated from what he could tell, making a few fast steps away only to be forced to get back by Ghaul's swiping deadly claws and snapping jaws. Vergil stood with curiosity mounting at her peculiar dance, it was as if she was trying to get away yet not trying at the same time.

A slight amusement tugged at the corner of his lips while he leaned on his katana, the mirth vanishing quickly as Rain came tumbling through the scattered debris and swept him back to the flat of the ground. Dazed and dirty from her ordeal, she shook her head to shake off the dust, only to be dribbled on by something a lot worse. She turned confused to see Vergil's frowning face, the odious black saliva mixing with the blood running down the side of his nose and across his hard-sculpted lips…Lips set in a straight murderous line.

"Ghaul!" Vergil yelled out and wiped at his mouth, then Yamato shot upwards in a blink, skewering the demon's lower jaw. He looked up to avoid more of the disgusting slime, catching a glimpse of Dante who landed like a cat on top of Ghaul's enormous head, Rebellion slotting easily over his shoulders.

"Hey there dude, how is it _hanging_?" The demon-slayer in red called down to his twin, running a finger from left to right across his own neck with a crafty smirk, peering at Vergil all the while.

Needing no further hint, Vergil gave him a dark nod while gripping his sword with both of his hands and pulled Yamato out with an agonizing grunt. Pivoting instantly, Vergil kicked his legs high into the air and flipping backwards he let the momentum slam the freed razor sharp blade into the underside of the monster's neck.

Dante turned the broadsword with a flick of his wrist and his mighty muscles grew stone hard as he rammed the mighty weapon with all he had into the demon's neck from above. Both swords came fast into the pulpous skin, slowing down as they sliced deep on each opposite end. To the twins' shocking dismay however the blades never met half way, instead becoming entrapped in the treacherous flesh.

"Any more bright ideas?" Vergil called out humourlessly seeing as he was not able to pull the katana out this time and the demon was nowhere nearer to being dead, only more infuriating by the minute. He vaguely sensed Rain getting up behind him, able to discern her acute despair, Lady's gunshots falling silent, unable to do any damage at all.

On top of it all there was something else in the air that changed for the worse and Vergil could tell that Dante felt it too. The downpour stopped as fast as it came, letting a different kind of noise be heard from the ground. Small, scuttling sounds of many feet, quite distinct from the faded rain and the heavy taloned feet of the giant beast.

The demon-dragon jerked its head upwards with guttural menacing laughter, causing Vergil to be yanked hard to the air while Dante plunged down, forced to brace his feet against the thick neck as he held the silver skull of his sword, his boots slowly sinking into the annoyingly soft flesh.

"Now you are going to die!" The abhorrent demon roared, diving its head with the twins still attached, hurling a fresh stream of inferno at its feet and all over the immediate ground.

Lady stilled and whipped back out her guns, trained eyes flicking across the flames that licked the pavement, a strange ghastly feeling crawling into her guts. The question begged, why didn't it aim at any of them? Her instinct sent her high on alert and she stole a glance to Rain who stood with her katanas drawn, thinking much the same.

The dying flames pulled back and a black shadow stirred in the stillness of the cobbled street.

"What are you?" Lady whispered guardedly, watching as something even darker than the shadows rose from the fire as if it had just been given life. It slid forth, gliding ominously, all the while growing in size like a horrid animation. More and more of the things emerged from the awakened black stains, beaded tails lifting high above their six legged forms.

The monsters began to pool just like the fallen rain, a mass of sickly clicking sounds and snapping pincers bubbling out and rushing in frenzy to decimate all in their path.

Teeth clenching hard, Lady opened merciless fire into the heaving mountain of hell-spawned scorpions that were still getting bigger by the minute. Stingers now large as a grown man's fist were reaching for Vergil's legs as he hung onto Yamato, trying hard to yank it out.

At last the pulpous flesh gave in and Vergil felt weightless for a few seconds before plunging to the ground, being swallowed by the roiling heap of poison and claws. More swarmed instantly on top on the half-devil as if feeling an easy prey, and Lady, suddenly horrified, moved her constant hail of bullets to the edges of the mound, her eyes whipping to Rain as she heard a loud female yell.

Through a shower of splintered scorpion armour and flesh flying in all directions, Lady saw as Rain was forced to back away, stabbing the first demon that reached her with her sword, then chopping like mad at the horde that followed. Having nowhere to move as her back hit the wall, Rain began to slice off the giant pincers, guessing the poison running in their horrid glands would not let her live for long.

The ground shattered together with the air as Ghaul gave a victorious roar from the depths of its bowels, seeing Rain cornered and unable to get away. The hell-dragon stomped forth like an enraged rhino, readying to draw in breath and send Rain to Hell with Hell's native fire while first driving its heavy tusk into the mass of minions, killing Vergil and the scorpions alike.

Only Dante was far from done, eyes growing dark and eerie as he bid his body to morph to rattling black scales, finally freeing Rebellion from the demon's thick hide with a crackling of crimson power. A devil's arm hammered the sword into the dragon's head blow after blow, chunks of horrid pulp squelching as they flew rapidly into the air. Yet the Hell-born monster did not even flinch, its laughter growing louder and more sinister as it refocused on its primary prey.

"Vergil? Some help here?" Dante yelled from atop the kill-enraged beast, just about managing to keep the demon from levelling all but Vergil and Rain.

Rain looked up and took in a shaky breath, long drawn from the tiresome fight. She saw the beast flail and thrash under Dante's brutal handling, yet it still lowered its hideous head and exposed its sickening fangs, the sickening ooze sizzling with new-born fire under its monstrous blistery tongue. She swiped her head to Lady in desperate hopes that she would understand.

In response a stream of constant thundering bullets hit the demons underneath Rain's feet and it was like sweet music to Rain. With thanking eyes thrown at Lady, Rain started to run through the exploding scorpions, her feet crunching on their body parts, somehow knowing Lady would not misfire.

She dived down to skid under Ghaul and divert the demon from Vergil's path. In doing so the tusk mounted on the beast's snout caught her in her thigh, sending her tumbling right against a scorpion's deadly spike.

Rain blinked her eyes, breath turning shallow as she felt the poison spill into her blood. Slammed against the wall like a broken doll, she watched as it all stilled around her, vision hazing over, almost turning blue. She bid her mind to focus and shake the blur from her eyes, briefly succeeding to glimpse a shimmer of light dance around the horde of scorpions like aurora borealis breaking out in a northern sky.

She thought she was dreaming, entranced by the beauty in her delirious state, when the light solidified and became a blaze of blue, forming into a flawless sphere of crystalline swords. The blades, almost magical and unreal, broke through the roiling blackness, shattering the demons in their path like statues made from onyx glass. Out of the waterfall of crystal shards emerged the older brother, staggering while spitting blood, yet staying tall as he turned rather swaying to the looming beast above him.

"You had your fun Ghaul!" Vergil fumed with ragged breath, eyes half closing as his weakened demon struggled to rid of the venom racing in his veins. "It's time to send a message back to Hell and let the imposter on the throne know that I will be coming back," he raged, a prideful disdain seeping into his voice.

"I trust you can deliver it," he said with cold finality. His hands then drew into tight fists that he lifted above him, knuckles popping as vapours of blue begun to swirl from between his fingers. Frozen glacier blue eyes met with Dante's, the twin in red giving a sharp nod of understanding.

The air soon crackled with a storm of blue, shimmering swords so thin they almost vanished if seen edge-on slicing into the underside of the monster's neck. One by one more glided through the air, impaling the neck in perfect circle from all sides, like a piercing collar from Hell.

Ghaul gave an instant laugh that resounded across the silence of the square. It began to shake its head, the ethereal swords rocking and starting to fall out.

"You can never defeat the mighty…"

The demon never finished his boasting words as Dante drew in a fist of his own and then…time slowed down as Dante released his hand, a sphere of transparent crimson shield enveloping the blue swords to hold them in place.

Pieces of scorpion flesh were floating past in slow motion, falling into the pools of water on the pavement, creating splashes like icicles suspended from the ground.

Then the shield imploded with tremendous force, smashing the ghostly swords into the centre of the beast, and a sickening sound of pain and defeat emerged from the demon's wide opened jaws just before its head departed from the rest of its body.

The street fell deathly quiet, not even a single sound had time to escape from the fallen beast. Lady stared for a few moments at the severed head, almost shaking from the lingering disgust. That darn thing was finally dead and she had to admit that without the twins they wouldn't have a chance.

The whole street looked like a scene from a war Lady thought, watching Vergil stagger as he wiped the blood trickling down his mouth, Dante landing on the pavement with a graceful click of his red leather boots, and Rain…

"Hey Vergil? If you feel like holding back next time? Don't." Dante pointed a black gloved hand at Vergil in fleeting rage as he strode towards him, then made a sharp turn and a haste to Rain.

"I was not the only one holding back." Vergil sauntered to his twin's side and leaned against the wall. He peered at his brother's fading demonic form, then gave Dante a sarcastic look, one that said he wasn't surprised his brother still repressed his demon, only calling upon his powers at the last possible moment. Dante opened his mouth to retort but nothing came out. He knew he had nearly morphed too late.

"In fact, unlike you, I _wasn't_ holding back," the blue twin said matter-of-factly, flexing his hand slowly in front of him. He still couldn't transform, no matter how much he had missed the rush of power stream through his veins.

Dante gazed at his brother without a word, now fully human as he crouched down beside Rain. He had thought, if only for a moment, that Vergil might have played some sick game again. He had also hoped that he had been mistaken. He knew deep down that Vergil would not hold back, only if he had a good reason. It had been him all along playing a game of being too human. Angry at himself for putting them all in unnecessary danger, Dante shook his head and turned to Rain.

"How are you?" He slipped a gloved finger under her chin and lifted her head ever so slowly, his anger melting away.

"I am just great." Faded green eyes lifted from under blonde lashes, and a feeble smile greeted him.

"Yeah, I can see that." He'd roll his eyes at her answer. "Can you get up?" Dante asked gently.

"Yes. I need to get to my car," Rain told him weakly, reddened eyes travelling to the broken vials of medicine scattered nearby on the ground.

"Hey, if you want another sandwich all you need to do is ask," Dante laughed, not quite sure why, perhaps happy that she was OK. At least to him she didn't appear too injured, only shaken and grazed enough to get some bruising.

"No, it's not that. I…I need…" Rain's eyes suddenly rolled to the back of her forehead and her body slumped to the side, making a scraping sound along the ragged wall.

"No, no, no," Dante's tone changed to sombre, a panic rushing to his stomach. He quickly threw Rebellion behind his back and slipped his hands under Rain to pick her up. His fingers though caught on something hard, protruding from the side of Rain's thigh. He pulled it out and brought it closer to his eyes. It was a scorpion's stinger, broken from a massive black tail, still dripping with venom that was now mixing with Rain's blood.

"I'd call it a bad luck or an ironic turn of fates, but _this_ poison I know. It can be cured from the blood of a demon…For humans though, there is no cure," Vergil enlightened his brother as a matter of course, and Lady who just arrived, peeling of the wall with his customarily frowning face. "All you can do is make her comfortable inside."

"No!" Dante's anger made itself known again as he sent his brother a defiant glare. "There must be something I can do. Suck out the poison or cut out the worst, right?" He gave Lady and Vergil a grave look, expecting some sort of a nod or a positive answer in return but only hard lines of their mouths were showing back.

"It looks like it's already gone too far into her blood, Dante," Lady confirmed in a gentler voice than usual, placing a white-gloved hand on his shoulder. "You know, even I would admit that we are lucky that bastard didn't have us all fried up for breakfast," she offered a solace that bounced on deaf ears.

"And I should have fried the fucker a lot sooner!" Dante snapped, his arm itching to punch something hard. "I'm taking her inside," he said darkly and picked her up from the wet street. He refused to believe this was it for his new friend who had fought for so long and only had just found some more meaning to her life.

Not looking back at either of his companions, he took off fast for the office. Lady and Vergil followed behind, each keeping a secret, distrustful eye on the other, yet neither could help the uneasy feeling settling in their guts. They knew that something had snapped inside Dante, something dark that didn't look too healthy for his soul. For now, just for now, they'd be civil, not for the sake of each other, but for the sake of Dante.

They followed him in silence, Vergil closing the door hind them as Dante lowered Rain onto the dusty old couch.

"Give me your knife." The half-devil in red turned to Lady, not making it a question.

Without a word, Lady pulled out her nine inch hunting knife from under a leather strap wrapped around her bare thigh and handed it to Dante. Vergil let one ashen-eyebrow disappear under his dishevelled tresses in disturbed surprise but said nothing.

_Yeah, you should see what else I have in there. _Lady sent him the briefest of jeering smiles, then her mouth dropped to a solemn line as she turned back to Dante. Her eyes gained a sombre look as she watched the younger brother cut into Rain's trousers and rip them apart. How many times had it been when she had to do something like this alone?

Nasty yellow pus trickled out and spilled over Dante's fingers, the leg red and swollen from the venom pumping damage to the surrounding flesh.

"That's not looking good." Lady crouched beside the couch, watching the poison bubble in the wound, red-black veins as thin as hair rushing out to infect the rest of Rain's body. "I've seen this before on one poor soul. Even if you cut out the worst, she'd need an antidote or something." Lady's voice had a comforting tone even though it carried bad news. "And didn't your brother already say…"

"What happened to that soul?" Dante demanded to know darkly, holding the knife close to the young skin. He ran the tip over one hairline of the infection spreading from Rain's thigh. He looked up to meet the eyes of the raven haired huntress, dreading to hear the answer.

"Rest in peace," Lady said as she swallowed, knowing all well that Dante knew what it meant. "Maybe if you were to cut off the whole leg you might still save her life," she added, hopefully.

The taut air that followed was cut by a deep chuckle, slow and vibrating, coming from the dark slayer who was leaning against a nearby wall, his head blending between a disfigured head of a demon and some sort of grotesque devil-arm.

"You think cutting off her limbs would save her life? She would not last one minute in another fight that is certain to come. Which is all irrelevant, given I have already told you there is nothing you can do," he said coldly, mocking tone mixing into his voice.

Dante rose to his feet, and swiftly whipped to Vergil.

"I don't believe…In nothing. Maybe there is nothing _you_ could do, but please, don't mistake me for one of your own shortcomings," he ground through his teeth as he drilled death into his brother's expressionless eyes.

Taken aback by his twin's coldness that sent a well-aimed dagger into his still beating heart, Vergil swallowed the bile that formed in his throat and said almost numbly, "Well…Unless you can transform her into a demon this very moment, or make what all demons have used for millennia as a cure miraculously absorb into a human, then you might as well start believing."

Dante held back his demon trying to get at his brother for his obtuse lack of compassion, when he suddenly thought that Vergil had said something that sounded somewhat familiar, the words echoing loudly through his head.

_Miraculously absorb into a human... _Damn it all to Hell!How could he have forgotten about that? Quickly searching her belt, he pressed a hand against the slots where he had seen Rain store her peculiar invention. They were all empty. Then he remembered her look at the street just before she had passed out. Dammit! Searching around the room as if the vials would have dropped out of an empty belt, Dante recalled her last words. _I need to get to my car…_

"Vergil?" Dante called out and Vergil prepared for an insult or a lecture about not caring, which he didn't care about, when the younger's lips split into a large smile. "You are a genius!" Dante bolted up suddenly, running past the two, and disappeared through the garage door.

Lady shrugged clueless as her eyes met Vergil's bland ones, the devil in blue not giving her the satisfaction of an equally clueless response. They waited no longer than a minute for Dante to come back flying, clutching something to his chest as he kneeled down beside Rain.

To their amazement, he pulled out a syringe filled with something of a rainbow green colour and jabbed it straight into the festering wound. The yellow pus gushed out as the inflamed muscle inside pulsed like a second heart.

Dante waited, the empty injection loose in his hand, Vergil pulling off the wall with wary curiosity shining in his eyes. He had seen demons being pulled apart by biological impurities of humans, but for humans to be put together by demonic perfections, that was something else entirely.

"What did you just do?" Lady asked, moving closer, observing in astonishment as the dark veins lacing Rain's skin shrank and retracted like an ebbing tide being pulled by the moon.

"Fascinating…" Vergil let out a disbelieving breath.

Yet the dark twin hadn't the time to analyse this new intriguing discovery as Rain suddenly bolted upright, gasping for breath, her hands flailing. "Where…Am I? The demon! Get the stinking demon away from me!" She yelled frantically as she fought the empty air, eyes zooming onto Vergil since he happened to stand in her direct line of vision.

Vergil froze as at the instant something boiled inside him and he became acutely aware of the drying revolting slime still clinging so heroically to his face, ever so disgustingly still soaking into the skin all over his bare chest inside his opened trench…And he nearly choked as the stench of Ghaul kept ripping apart his proper sense of smell.

"All right already, I'll go and shower!" Vergil growled out in agitation, turning on his heel. He'd had enough surprises for one day, enough insults for the rest of his life and he'd sure had enough of reeking till kingdom come.

As Vergil departed, shutting the door of the bathroom behind him rather hard, Rain dropped back onto the couch, her hair falling in her face and into her closing eyes.

"Well, he did stink," Lady shrugged with a small satisfaction swimming in her eyes, watching Dante pick up a blanket that was folded over the backrest wordlessly, and place it over Rain.

"I know. It takes a while for Hell to wash off completely," he said without any sarcasm as he rolled the empty vial in his hand, mulling over what to say. There was no forgetting what Lady had done the other day. He was relieved beyond imaginable that Rain would make it, but could his friendship with Lady ever be the same? Could he ever trust her again, not to mention with something that could forever change the way she worked and lived? Maybe he should leave that decision to Rain? After all, it was her invention.

"I am glad she didn't die," Lady said finally, holding it in as if she had been forced to say it. "It's hard to find good fighters and she would be a good ally to have on hand," she mentioned in her business like tone, adjusting Kalina Ann on her shoulder.

Dante thought he would burst out laughing at that very moment, only he supressed it as he really didn't feel like laughing at all. How could Lady lead such a distant, purposeful life? Would she truly rather say Rain was useful to her narrow-minded goals than admit whether she liked her or not? He shouldn't have been surprised, rather more sad. If only his dear friend took a step back every once in a while and thought of others instead of being so stubborn. Maybe, one day she would learn…

"You changed your tune," he told her in a doubtful tone, ice blue eyes lifting to lock with her bi-coloured ones.

Lady shifted uncomfortably, feeling as if she had somehow disappointed him. "Would you have believed me, if I simply said sorry?" She moved her chin up stubbornly, her dark hair bouncing about her battle-scarred face. She hated apologies and she knew that Dante knew it. In her mind whatever she had ever done had a darn good purpose and there was no reason to be sorry for it.

"No. I'd never believe you'd say sorry. Even if you have said sorry I would never believe that you've meant it." Dante said candidly, and tiredly.

"But you know that I am sorry, right?" Lady demanded to know, feeling like stomping her foot.

"Are you?"

"Well, I haven't killed your brother yet, have I? And I came back, thinking I had to set things straight until that son of demon-bitch showed up." She sent him a thin smile, wanting to shout as she so hated him right then for making her say things...Things she'd never say to anyone. "Look. I remembered I once saw a devil cry. He was a half-devil, weeping for a lost brother in the rain. Since then I always thought there was only one of a kind, but now I figure, wouldn't it be better if there were two?"

"Now, isn't that something," Dante muttered curiously, not buying this turnover just yet, if at all. "I hope though that you don't expect to see Vergil crying to make up your mind? Just remember what you said, the next time you feel the urge to make a lot of demon parts out of someone's family." He sent her a steady, penetrating gaze, handing her back her scary-looking hunting knife.

Lady paused and then took the knife. "As long as he doesn't make anyone else cry," she uttered softly, her red and blue eyes promising a deal. When he didn't respond which she took for a truce, her hand slipped the razor sharp weapon into a holster strapped to her thigh and she let herself relax now that the awkward moment has passed.

"So, who is she?" Lady shifted her chin to Rain. "That thing went straight for her." She gave him an interested look, trying not to seem too nosy.

"You know? I really don't know. But what I know is that I don't need to know." He held Lady's eyes with a sincerity mixed with hilarity she had only ever seen in him. She had kind of admired his humour guided lack of judgement of anyone. Even his own dear brother. Dante had always simply done what needed to be done without asking too many questions about the why-s. Was that why she had felt the need to watch over him like that? To judge everything that moved on his behalf and act if he didn't care to see an evil hidden within someone's pretty face or behind overly good manners?

Lady judged everyone. Trying to read them like a book on open display. But Dante was still her friend, the best she had ever had, and she would stay back in this one case until he would need her again. And need her he would, she was sure of it.

Especially should it turn out that Dante's good old brother had forgotten to learn his lesson…

….

The said good old brother caught himself gazing at a mirror. It had been the strangeness of his own reflection that had stopped him to stare. The thing was, he couldn't remember seeing this face ever since he had been held captive, if only he knew how long ago that was. Time did not exist in that prison, only darkness and a dull pain that had faded into the dark just like everything else.

A thin hand traversed over his defined lips, moving upwards to trace the sunken shadows jutting from his finely chiselled cheekbones. It was as if a ghost has been glaring back at him, webs of white scars as thin as spider's silk running in all directions. They would fade with time but the scars, enwrapping his heart like a treacherous net, they would never go away. They would only grip tighter, squeezing until he could stand it no longer. He had to get his revenge soon or he might as well lose himself to self-decimating shame.

Vergil tore away from the mirror in disgust and stepped closer to the shower. It felt like standing at a shrine, his visit to which was beyond overdue. Silently he shook the silky trench from his shoulders and folded it neatly over a white plastic chair that was sitting next to the bath.

He would have to leave immediately. He would bring the Queen down, knowing what he knew, from her throne and from the world of the living, both. He would then remember who had taken his dignity and blood, and take their life slowly, agonizingly, before he'd fall himself, consumed by his own uncontrollable rage.

A fist so tight that the veins popped out shot forth and stopped shaking just before the hard tiled wall.

Perhaps the girl would know, his jaw clenching tight. She might know who had done this to him. More and more it became obvious that she was connected to this all. Yet how and why? Somehow not knowing this brought more turmoil and fury to his mind.

He ripped off the slacks that were not his with a single jerk of his hand, finally freed from the last remnant of the prison, holding Yamato all the while, veins flexing across his hand.

_The Queen wants her dead. _Even more so than she wanted him. The treacherous demon had soared right over his head in the sodding rain and the idiotic demon would have never known that Vergil had been even there. The hand had been sent for Rain, if that was her name. But why?

He reached out to turn on the water. It dripped at first and coughed, then splashed out like a waterfall full of winter's last melted snow. The water was freezing but then begun to warm up against his fingers.

_A prophecy. _He shuddered at the thought, recalling the dreary moments of his descent before his memory got lost in the abyssal darkness. The Queen had been afraid of a prophecy…And had spoken of a female she had wanted dead. Was it not a healthy possibility that this woman in question was the girl?

Finally stripped of all but his own skin, he pushed the blade apart from its sheath in his hands and glimpsed the scars on his normally smooth, muscled chest in the shine of the polished steel. Someone must have cleaned his keepsake, he noted incidentally, and he would bet his life it hadn't been his captors. Must have been Dante, he surmised. He might just thank him later…

Stepping into the shower, he left his blade close behind, the sheath sliding back to cover the naked metal. It was a divine feeling when the stream of pureness touched his skin, like a ritual of ultimate cleansing. He pressed palms against the tiles, muscles softened by the heat unwinding in the heavenly steam.

He had to know what the Queen was so afraid of. There were still hidden spies in the city and that's where he would start asking. Right after restoring the scent of his formal glory. Then they would learn to know that Sparda's oldest son is back in town.

….

"You realise that he went there pretty much naked and somehow I bet he won't be wanting to put those horrible, smelly slacks back on after getting all spick and span?" Lady pointed out as she leaned against the couch picking at her nails, a smile bordering on devious stretching across her lips.

She had never imagined to see Vergil in something other than his immaculate aristocratic robes which had the habit to leave a smirk dancing on her lips just to think about, yet without them he suddenly hadn't looked so…How should she put it…Dangerous?

"Maybe you can let him wear some of yours." She winked at Dante slyly, already envisaging Vergil in worn-out red leather trousers and a baggy t-shirt. Wouldn't that be hilarious? Seriously. Anything of Dante's would hang way too loose on the starved-to-death twin.

"Uh-huh." Dante glanced at her with a dubiously reserved face. "I tell you now, he'd rather run around with a towel wrapped around his waist than wear anything of mine," he said, only half listening as he was still checking Rain's remedy was indeed working its magic.

_Dammit._ Lady's face fell disappointedly as somehow she wanted to help. She might have still judged Vergil, but Dante was her friend and she had hurt him bad.

"Hey, how about you pop out and get something for him? I'd do it myself but I don't want to leave Rain until I can be sure that she's OK," Dante muttered, his thoughts in some place other rather than clothes.

"Sure thing," Lady was thrilled to oblige, a secret smirk forming along her lips. Why didn't _she_ think of that? She walked to the door, then turned back, finger raised in the air.

"Should I get something scary gothic or a more of a less threatening look?" Lady asked with a sweet smile even though she had already made up her mind.

"I don't know, you are the fashion expert, right? I'm sure you can think of something fitting," Dante offered no advice as he only shopped twice a year, in a shop where they made all his clothes for him on demand. But how on earth would he know what to get his brother if he had only ever seen him in some fine-looking snake leather he was sure was impossible to get on a short notice?

_Oh yeah. I can._ Lady nodded, showing her satisfaction to the door as she walked out.

Dante sat down in his antique chair that stood so faithfully at his desk and tapped his fingers on the heavy oak table. This whole game had suddenly gone up several notches into the dangerous and he didn't like it one bit. Casting his blue eyes over Rain's sleeping form, he began to dread to think what kind of trouble she was in.

Could Hell in any way want revenge because of the anti-demon poison her family cooked up in the past? Nah. Seemed a bit extreme but then did demons have any qualms about killing any possible threat? Was her family even still alive? Either way, he had to try and find out more before the hellish realm could get the chance and decide to just kill them all.

The sound of the shower stopped in the bathroom and Dante turned his head, tapping finger suspended in the air. He had an unpleasant feeling that Vergil knew something he had been hiding and this something was going to make things around his neighbourhood very ugly. Without a doubt the demon spies had already informed whoever was after Rain that Vergil was in town as well. The whole Hell was likely to dish out all its dirty tricks to try and get them all at once. It was just a matter of time…

As he saw it, there was only one way out. Vergil had to get back in shape and fast, and in the meantime they had to work together and earn each other's trust. Only then…just let them try!

The door slammed open with a short creak and Vergil walked out, face on fire, water dripping all over as he held up a massive towel to dry his hair. He bumped into the solid table, a splash of water raining across the desk and Dante's fingers in a perfect row like a burst of bullets.

"I do not want to alarm you, but your ventilation appears to have ceased functioning," Vergil muttered from under his hair that still smoked with curls of steam. He couldn't see anything in that bathroom once it filled to the ceiling with purposefully thick vapours and nearly ended up with Yamato sticking out of something it shouldn't.

"Oh nah. It works perfectly really, since I don't have one. Some demons find the funniest places to sneak in." Dante waved it off. Both eyebrows disappearing under his white hair, he sat up slightly, only enough to check below the far edge of the desk. Fortunately it was all covered in there, in another towel that must have been wrapped twice around a narrow waist, way too thin for someone supposed to fight a whole world of demonic residents.

Dante sighed inwardly, knowing that nothing from this point on would be easy. But was it ever? "Man, you seriously need to eat more," he observed with a casual tone, trying not to sound too motherly as he slid back into his chair. He dared not to imply that Vergil wasn't capable of taking care of himself in that respect, but he wasn't convinced that his priorities were quite in the correct order right now.

"How am I not surprised that you'd think of food when there are far more urgent matters to attend to," Vergil's voice gained an irritation that seemed to have been oozing out slowly ever since he had gotten up from the bed upstairs. He stood there all serious with two towels battling to stay on his wet and slippery body and he didn't even know why it felt so wrong.

_So much for the right priority, _Dante rested his case. "You live in some kind of a private bubble there I can't see? Because in case you haven't noticed you are even less dressed than before! And I sure as hell don't think you'd wear anything of mine now, would you? So if those matters you want to sort out really matter, you should rethink of what matters right now." Dante let his eyebrows drop so that he could roll his eyes. He tried to be patient but Vergil was really starting to push his not so amiable buttons.

"I never said I'd be attending to those matters undressed," Vergil growled lowly, then paused as the harsh reality dawned on him. He had no clothes and he hadn't thought about getting any all the while thinking of assaulting the Queen. His hand shot to his temple as he felt a headache pounding in his head.

His normally sharp mind was still in limbo from the poison, slow to process even the mundane tasks of life. He couldn't plan anything, think straight for more than five minutes at a time, and he couldn't feel anything but hate.

It was time to sit down, slow down, plan a full recovery and only then think straight or he would not get very far. Unfortunately that also meant working alongside Dante in the meantime.

"But hey, it's your lucky day, cause our good old friend Lady is getting you some as we speak," the younger twin announced with a spark in his eyes, pleased he had it all so nicely under control.

_Oh sure, I am so relieved._ Vergil frowned inwardly. His mind might have been affected, but not completely gone. He would not trust that dangerous little minx with taking out his trash. Perhaps, he should still consider wearing something least offending of Dante's if that ever existed? _Call me desperate, but desperate measures are called for in desperate times._

"So, in the meantime, why don't you sit tight, start to get hungry and tell me all about that mother of a demon sent to kill us," Dante said naturally, unflinching eyes catching the light of caution that flickered in his brother's.

"I have already told you." Vergil put his hand on the desk as he slowly sat down in a soft armchair opposite Dante. He slipped the towel from his hair, and put it over the chair. "We have been acquainted in the past," he repeated listlessly, his hand rising to slick back his hair in a habit he had missed the feel of for so long.

"So you are not even a bit jealous it chose Rain over you?" Dante's eyes popped up from under his lashes curiously, his finger taping silently on the wooden surface of the table.

_Funny, brother, very funny. _

"It didn't choose. It simply didn't know I was there. There are very different reasons why the Queen wants us both dead, and yet they might be connected. I do not know why your friend is in danger, only that it might have something to do with a certain prophecy," Vergil drawled in his deep, controlled voice.

"And you think this prophecy has something to do with Rain? Well, that would explain a few things. If that bitch was sensitive about some gobbledygook made up by some very bored priests locked up in a dark tower, she'd do whatever it took to believe it," Dante said sardonically as he shook his head, then added thoughtfully, "You know what that prophecy is about?"

"No," Vergil confirmed tersely.

"So, then we need to find out," Dante let out with a sigh, already dreading the outcome. Prophesies were a tricky things, so easily concocted yet so hard to overcome. Eyes resembling Vergil's looked up with unbreakable determination. "We should go out soon and check out a few old friends. I'll just have to trust Lady with Rain for a while," Dante mumbled more to himself, unhappy with the way things were going. He'd prefer to stay at least while Rain was unconscious but waiting another day might have proven even worse.

"I cannot help but question whether you can trust that woman." The dark twin said unexpectedly, boring his eyes into Dante.

"So why did you catch her ass back there?" Dante threw in offhandedly.

"I didn't want her to get the wrong idea in case she would survive the fall on her own," the not-so-blue twin responded sarcastically, bending to pick up the towel that had shifted behind and slid to the floor. He froze half way down as he sensed a movement somewhere in the room. Staying stark still, only his eyes travelled across the space of the office, quickly landing on the door.

"Speaking of the devil," Vergil turned to Dante, pointing a long finger to the entrance. He then straightened up, throwing the towel decorously over his shoulders.

A second later the door flew open and Lady entered the lounge, a few bags sporting designer labels dangling down from Kalina Ann. She swung the rocket launcher from her shoulder and took the shopping in her hand, wiggling the bags in front of the twins.

"I just so needed this after that ridiculous fight," Lady announced happily, taking off her sunglasses she wore even though it wasn't sunny outside. Vergil gave the bags a good distrusting glare while she bent down and left her cannon leaning against the wall.

"How is she?" Lady gestured towards Rain, holding out the clothes in front of Dante casually while keeping one eye on Vergil. Shame she was about to spoil that look of normality he had about him right now, wrapped only in towels and without his sword.

"She is fine, for now," Dante answered, taking the clothes and his eyes met with Lady's. In that instant, if only for a split second, he wondered what if Vergil was right, what if he had made a mistake letting Lady choose Vergil's clothes and very wearily pulled out what was in the bags.

To his surprise, and an even bigger surprise of Vergil's, Lady had bought something rather special. In one bag was a great quality long sleeve pullover all in black and a pair of designer black trousers, a somewhat shiny silk-like thread painting a Chinese motive on the outside of each leg. The other bag had a pair of dark leather boots with steel plated souls and buckled sides.

"Oh, I would have gotten some gloves too but they didn't have any I thought were good enough," Lady said proudly, feeling smug inside. If there was one thing she was better at than fighting, it was buying clothes.

"Wow, just…I mean, wow. And thanks. I'd say that's even a big improvement over what you had before, huh Verge?" Dante turned from Lady to Vergil, handing him the items.

"If it fits," Vergil reserved his judgement flatly as he took the clothes and giving a short nod to Lady he left for the bathroom.

"And sorry, I don't do men's underwear, so I gave that a miss completely." She sent a sweet smile to Vergil who turned returning a scowling growl before he disappeared behind the door.

"So, what do I owe you?" Dante asked matter-of-factly, uneasy smile playing across his face as he expected it would be rather expensive. He had no excess funds for this kind of stuff and he wouldn't even consider asking Vergil to cover it since he was most likely broke being dropped from Hell with nothing but his coat and sword.

"How about you don't owe me anything? After all, I owe _you_ big time, and all I would ask is that you give me a chance to prove I meant what I said," Lady offered, an aura of sincerity rising around her.

"Well, I can't say we won't need all the help we can get right now," he somewhat hesitated but was relieved that she seemed to have come around. At least he was leaving her with Rain and not with Vergil. "But if you do anything like that again, I swear on pepperoni pizza that I might break my rule of not killing humans. Get me?"

Lady leaned in and brought a finger to her chest while smiling a thin smile. "Cross my heart."

**A/N:** _As always please leave a note, I don't bite!_

_Also some of you have asked about the original of this story. I cannot post both versions unfortunately as I would break the rules of this site apparently, so if anyone is interested let me know and I can get you the original as well. _

_And finally, have a great Valentine's Day! Love all around! Tora_


	8. Black and Red

**CH8 – Black and Red**

"Well then, you can start proving your word by looking after Rain while we are out," Dante kept peering at Lady, searching for that pissed off glint in her eyes but surprisingly finding none. Maybe she had really meant she wanted to help, Dante thought, feeling a bit better about leaving.

"Sure. As long as you don't take too long. Your place doesn't exactly cut it when it comes to women's tastes and comforts," she endowed him with a grimace, then went to sink into the cosy but shabby armchair.

"If you say so. But we won't be long, right Vergil?" Dante cut his gaze to his twin who had just emerged from the bathroom, adjusting his sleeves, all dressed to kill. "Whoa. This is gonna be a lot easier with you looking half decent. The question is what contact would be the best…"

"Mine," Vergil said categorically, pausing to give Dante the unyielding look before proceeding to the door.

"Hey, wait a sec. Why would your contact be any better?" Dante couldn't help but be a little offended. "No offence, but you've been out of the game for more than a smidgen of time, don't you think?"

"Precisely. My contact thinks I'm dead. And those seeing ghosts tend to be more accommodating," Vergil said dispassionately, even though he felt a pang of electric excitement shifting inside. Yes, he had been out of the game for too long indeed.

"Hmm, that might work." Dante shrugged before he followed his brother, both disappearing into the night.

"OK, bye." Lady waved her hand at the closing door. She sunk even deeper into the chair, her hand creeping to her guns, pulling out her desert eagle to twirl it between her fingers. _Don't be too long…_

…

The night descended clear and cold, air fresh from the downpour had despoiled the streets of the smell of dirt and decay, but never for long. Darkness gave only a thin crescent to the moon that cast a ghostly breath of light over the hard lines of the city below.

Like creatures of the dark the twins slinked through the empty streets, heading further away from the brightness of the bustling centre showing in the distance into the ominous darkness of the outer districts on the other side. Dirt and the smell of death was becoming a stronger part of the air the further they moved, no matter how much it had rained.

Finally they entered the poorest circle of the city, the outermost inhabited area before the wild planes stretched out for hundreds of miles. Instantly the shadows deepened, plunging them into pitch black in the streets of the barest of needs. No one desired to step inside this desolate place, afraid of the lowest standards of life, mingling hand in hand with the harshest of crimes. No one cared for the people here, and no one asked when someone went missing or when lives had been lost in the most violent ways.

Trash bins left uncollected overflowed with stinking remains of whatever someone didn't want or had killed, or from the scarce drug-dealers and bars filled with inhumane characteristics of all indecent professions. No one ventured here from the inner city or from the far outside, except for the occasional handful of foolish devil-hunters naïve enough to think of an easy kill, soon becoming a mere statistic of the missing and never found.

The brothers had no fear in their minds as they moved across the still and broken place, making a sharp left into a blind alley. They slowed down near a pile of waste thrown straight onto the cracked pavement, coming to a halt in front of a decrepit-looking bar on the outside. A blue clad arm moved to the side and stopped the man dressed in crimson.

"It has been a long time," Vergil said in a hushed voice, looking at the feeble light filtering from the dirty windows of the dark and unwelcoming place. A neon sign that made no sense as it was missing too many letters hung broken above the front entrance door.

"Trust me. He will know. No one forgets _you_ in a hurry," Dante assured his twin with smack on his back.

"Then let's suppose the five years have made him less keen to walk and more keen to talk," Vergil growled quietly, bare hand wrapping over Yamato's hilt.

"What, you worry you won't be able to keep up?" Dante let his voice carry a hint of teasing enjoyment. He hated to be in this horrid, deplorable place yet the thrill of hunting again with his brother made it all feel like a sunlit park.

Vergil considered his brother's words. "No. I don't," he admitted dryly, turning to throw a glaring look over his shoulder. "I'll leave all the chasing to you." He let a small smirk tug at his lips.

"Oh yeah? So what are _you_ gonna do?" Dante pushed up one of his eyebrows in an amused expectation.

"I'll make him stay put and talk," Vergil said for certain after a short pause. His eyes flashed with a grim harshness before he turned away and strode with deliberate steps to the back of the bar submerged in shadows.

"I thought as much." Dante gave an inward laugh, taking in a sharp breath of air as he followed his twin to the rear, red painted entrance of the bar.

They both dropped their swords on a small ledge and out of the view, then swapped a look of mutual agreement when Dante placed his fingertips on the surface of the door, about to push it open. Just for a moment his forehead drew into a deep scowl as he saw the slab of wood had more dried blood on it than paint, the owner not even bothering to wash it off.

He would come to a place like this ever so often and killed them all to send them back to where they came from, only a little deeper, to the bottomless pits of hell. If only to teach their near untouchable, well no, just hard to reach bosses, he'd decimate anyone who tried to take advantage of these desolate quarters, counting on the so called caring government not to care.

In fact he was in the mood to first take an immense pleasure in seeing those bastards piss in their trousers and let them squirm for a while. After all the people who were so unfortunate to live here were still decent humans without choices, even though the central district liked to call them rejects of society and not worth the smallest consideration.

Dante ground his teeth as he gave the door a light push, and they entered the devil-run premises. A strong smell of booze and cigars coiled in the air, yet inside the place looked surprisingly decent, with kind of a noir décor one would more expect in a rich establishment right in the centre of town. Exactly a dozen Hell's denizens sat at polished black tables in semi-darkness under dimmed lights, playing poker while exhaling thick clouds of smoke, a few standing around as they watched the others.

It was clear that all the guards inhabited human skins, which made Dante sickened inside, and their black suits announced their status, so very _appropriate_ for this part of town. They tried their very best to look mean and dangerous, especially the two looming over a man of a somewhat smaller build, clad in pure silk of grass-green from head to toe. The boss, a human-turned-demon, the only one in his natural form, sipped something equally sickly coloured from a tall glass, ice clinking around the small pink umbrella he pushed around boringly with his tongue.

"Check it out, I think we must be fitting right in," Dante noted quietly as they sneaked in through the black velvet drapes of the back door, seeing as no one turned their heads as he strode inside the bar with Vergil closely behind. Those idiots must have been so comfortable in their arrogance that they didn't even deem it prudent to guard the rear exit, Dante thought amusedly.

"Then… Let's make ourselves stand out," Vergil said in a deep, dark, smooth as silk voice.

Without a further warning or a single hesitation the dark twin moved within a clear view of the oblivious demons, his eyes narrowed with a tinge of frost dancing in his pupils as he fixed his gaze at the smaller man. A crystalline sword of magnificent translucent blue iced to life in front of the drink the convert demon was about to bring to his green painted lips.

The glass exploded in his face. Blood and whatever he was drinking dripped furiously onto his immaculate, matching attire, and all the way down into his boots. That seemed to get his attention as he instantly jolted upright, snapping his fingers at the two nearest goons.

"Get them! Bloody bounty hunters. So now they just throw things?" He yelled beyond annoyed without bothering to spare a glance at the intruders, then muttered under his nose as he wiped at his grass-green shirt angrily, trying to clean himself off.

The bigger guard, over six feet tall, unpeeled himself from the side of a large leather armchair he had been leaning against arrogantly and started to swagger to the twins with grim intention, grabbing a thick bottle full of liquid from one table on the way.

The heavy bottle became smashed and spilled over the backrest of a metal chair, its bottom jagged half thrust forth with lightning speed, the deadly spikes flying for Vergil's impassive, unwavering face as he was by far the closest. Surprise registered in the bulky demon's scowling countenance as a smaller hand than his shot up faster than he could see and secured a crushing hold around his knuckles.

The guard's raving black eyes clashed with Vergil's frosty ones when Vergil squeezed so hard the bones in the demon's hand cracked together with the bottle, smashing the glass into the big mofo's oversized fingers, rivulets of red traversing down his wrist and arm.

The demon in a man's skin grunted like an enraged gorilla as he clutched at his bloodied hand while trying to project a death glare at Vergil, getting angrier by the second as the insolent man in blue didn't as much as blink or flinch a muscle. With a rage that unwound his demonic form, he opened his mouth while lunging for Vergil's throat, crooked protruding teeth bursting out in an alarming growth together with a vicious roar.

The blue fist he saw from the corner of his hellish eye came from nowhere and even faster than before but it was all that the demon remembered as it all blacked out just before he knew he was floored unconscious to the ground.

Dante barely suppressed an amused snort as he leaned against the bar at Vergil's rear, muscled arms folded on his chest while the view was so great. He had to admit that Vergil had this cool and cold way of not messing about while bringing his opponents down in the shortest of times. It looked pretty impressive even though his brother still had to shake his fist in pain, if ever so briefly. But soon, darn soon, it would be the demons' bones shattering under Vergil's fists, just like they did under his own.

Dante knew they each had their own great styles, feeling the adrenaline rise at the anticipation of being able to complement each other again in battle, just like in the old times. It seemed that their attention was now fully gained as the rest of the bodyguards got up at once, all sorts of weapons popping out from under the tables, their faces changing to the meanest they thought they could muster.

_Time to join in on the fun_, Dante thought as he smoothly pulled off the bar, moved next to his brother, and rolled up his sleeves.

"So, which half do you want?" Dante asked while observing the swarming demons pushing aside tables and chairs, a customary grin of smelling a good fight crossing his face.

"Both," Vergil said icily, his painful fist longing for more. He might have gotten injured more easily in his weaker state yet it was as if strength was returning to him with every single movement and his mental desire for blood. And he was not yet strong enough to deny his mind what it wanted.

Vergil dived promptly into the crowd, kicks and fists flying high, knocking out weapons and teeth alike with brutal precision he was thrilled to provide. It had been so long, he mused, whether fighting to satiate a burning rage and desire or to fulfil a cold, calculated purpose. Always somehow…it felt admittedly satisfying.

"I get it that you missed smashing faces but come on, leave some for me will ya?" Dante jumped into the fray of breaking bones and clanking weapons, punching a flabby cheek that flew harshly to the side with the rest of a grimacing head.

The demons soon lay maimed or mostly dead on the floor and over shattered tables and chairs, limbs broken in places they didn't know they had.

Vergil strode over the scattered foes to the boss of the joint who still sat in his comfortable chair, sinking down with widening eyes upon seeing his dreaded nightmare had levelled his expensively hired security with his bare hands.

"Byron," Vergil sneered as he loomed over the shrinking demon born in the human world. "You never possessed the intelligence to hire an adequate protection," he said tauntingly with a sinister undertone.

"I didn't need one! I thought you were dead!" Byron shrieked out, uncomfortable frustration rushing through his voice.

"How touching. He did recognise me after all," Vergil turned to Dante as he spoke silkily, a pretend heart-warming glint dancing in his eyes.

"Yeah, but so much for keeping him inside," Dante observed casually, a finger springing to the fast disappearing backside of the demon who was legging it to the door. Apparently he wasn't too keen on talking after all.

Vergil exhaled a disappointed growl. It appeared the standards had gone down steadily ever since he'd been absent from the scene. With a disdainful look gracing his darkening eyes he summoned his powers to dislodge his being from the present space and reform a split second later behind the front door.

Byron reached out to open his way to a certain freedom with a cracking smile, breath racing to keep up with his pumping heart…And bumped hard into Vergil who was standing rigid on the other side.

His eyes shot wide at the sight of the half-demon in blue who should have been dead or at least back in the bar, mouth opening to say something in protest but only muffled sounds made their way out.

"Get back in. I haven't finished yet," Vergil commanded dryly, his patience withering at the man's unworthy desire to flee flickering in his humanoid eyes. Honestly. Did dignity and honour mean nothing anymore?

"You can't do this. You can't make me do anything," Byron squirmed, his lips twisting in an outraged disbelief. He had been set up so well, living an easy high life while spying on unruly humans and occasionally betraying his own kind. Was it too much to ask to be left alone? How could they do this to him and bring that wretched son of Sparda back from the dead?

"What if I was to say _please_?" Vergil slowly brought his katana down from the ledge above the door, and unsheathed in a flash, the tip was lowered to bite the base of the demon's neck.

"Then…I suppose I could go back?" The cowardly owner of the place displayed a consoling smile, backing away through the opened door. He reversed several steps inside and bumped into Dante who stood in the way.

"Whoa man, you still have to teach me that move sometime. I'm in love!" Dante cracked a wide grin at Vergil as he smacked his hands on top of the green-demon's shoulders, swung him around and dragged him over to a chair where he made him sit down with a minimal force.

"I'd say we teach this douchebag how to respect the sons of Sparda, hey?" The younger twin's lip rose diabolically.

Vergil moved closer, wordlessly, the formidable katana like a mythical object of doom faithfully lowered by his side. His new boot stepped on a neck of a demon that still stirred, breaking the neck with a single brutal twist.

"You can't touch me! You know what would happen," Byron protested in his self-assured yet laughable arrogance, as he turned from the deeply penetrating gaze of Vergil's to the insanely looking mirth of Dante's. "…Right?"

"You know, I might give a damn what happens to the people around here, be it drug dealers or stinky spies, but somehow I don't think that _he_ does…", Dante let his voice drift lower, suddenly liking the idea of the good half-demon, bad half-demon game, although deep down he knew that even his ruthless brother wouldn't let anything happen to poor innocent humans…Or would he? He suddenly felt compelled to send a speculative side-glance to Vergil.

Only a low growl came from Vergil's throat as he pulled Yamato out of its sheath in a flash. "There can always be an unfortunate accident," he said crisply, his voice a venom of an exotic snake.

"What do you want to know?" The demon blurted out readily, eyes squinting at the ancient blue-sheened blade that could slice off his human skin to then surgically sew it back onto his demon one.

Vergil cast a hard glance at his brother, both knowing that they now had him. The question was, how much did he really know?

The answer, to their surprise, came flying through one dirty window in the form of a well-balanced dart that shot clean through the glass, hurtling straight for the middle of the demon's eyes. Dante's hand shot forth just in time with an over-trained instinct and caught the thin and stealthy weapon a millisecond before Vergil snatched Byron to the ground.

Dante ducked down, out of the line of vision from any windows in the bar, holding the dart that was dripping with something loaded inside. From what he could tell, it smelled like that poison Vergil had nearly died from, now aimed at their source of information. It seemed that he knew enough for someone to be worried.

"Talk now!" Vergil lost his cool, now all niceties off the table. "What do you know of the prophecy the Queen is so afraid of?" He demanded as if the hardest frost has been lodged in his throat, eyes becoming dotted with the shadows of his crystalline swords.

"I…I'll tell you, just don't let them get me," Byron mumbled out, looking at the dart like it was a ghost, like he knew what was inside.

Dante shook his head incredulously, thinking this guy wasn't even worth 'getting'. "They won't get you while we're here so get on with it." He gritted his teeth to subdue the temptation to stick that dart into his green neck himself.

The demon straightened up a little and then flicked his eyes between the twins. "The prophecy is a foretelling of a human woman who is to kill the Queen before she can bear a child and keep her bloodline on the throne of Hell. It is to happen in almost exactly one month time," he said, candidly so.

"That is absurd. First, a human is not capable of killing the Queen of Hell. And second, I am going to kill her myself a lot sooner," Vergil declared darkly, dismissively.

"Oh, but you can't. She has made certain precautions. In the drink that celebrated your succession she put a poison to ensure you cannot harm her in any way. All you'd achieve is to direct any attacks at yourself. She did that to all who she had entrusted as her hand. You'd know all her intimate secrets and might not have gotten to like them. It lasts only one year, but then again no hand has ever lasted that long," Byron dared not to sneer as he said the words.

Vergil was left speechless for a few prolonged moments. His hand balled into a fist so tight his veins protruded underneath his skin. Just how many times could that gutless wench want to poison him? How many treacherous games did she want to play? He knew her cowardly methods and loathed them with a passion. But if that little piece of trash was lying… He was ready to smash Byron's face in with his clenched bare hand.

"But how could a human kill the Queen?" Dante asked fast before Vergil moved in to wring the green demon's neck and render him useless before they found out all they could. Dante respected the girl greatly but she had no chance of defeating Ghaul, not to mention the heavily guarded, slimy and very much powerful witch of Hell.

"That is not said. Only that her dethronement is imminent, forever ending the succession of the line of Mundus. Can't say I am not in favour. The whore has brought nothing but shame to our realm. It is for the strongest and noblest to rule the demon world," he said to his genuine grievance.

"Yeah sure, like that noble scum Mundus? If I knew then that he had an even more psychotic sister," Dante mumbled glumly. "I would have…"

"Well, unfortunately it's not for me to question the royalty of Hell. Now, I told you all I know," Byron interrupted expectantly, already eyeing the windows and planning his escape as he started to get to his feet.

"Hold it." Vergil whipped his head to the poisoned dart, catching Byron harshly by his arm. "What do you know of this? Who wants to kill you?"

"It is the dark shadow of the Queen. The devil-lord Kuro. I heard that you have been well acquainted." The green demon afforded himself a minute smirk, assured that Vergil too would soon meet his doom. His own life would then resume in its splendidness again, as soon as he would bribe that psychopath for hire Kuro to leave him alone.

Vergil gazed at him for a while, his memory piecing itself together. The visage of the black devil ran high through his mind like a fresh nightmare served on a silver plate. _Kuro!_

"Vergil, if that's who I think it is, then we better get out of here now. I'll go ahead and check the exits," Dante prompted warily, for once concerned of their safety. They were at a great disadvantage, flanked by a potentially lethal enemy of unknown strength and numbers, equipped by a weapon immensely harmful to their health. He wouldn't even begin to speculate what that horrid thing would do to Vergil should his blood experience another dose.

As Dante slinked away to scout out the demons in the night, Vergil let go of Byron, his thoughts straying to his unpleasant predicament. Byron was no longer to his interest, the slippery demon was as good as dead anyway in Kuro's insane grasp.

It was his own cruel fate however that pressed hard on his mind. Should he not be able to even touch that treacherous witch then his revenge was nigh on impossible to serve. It was almost inconceivable to him now that he might not get to fill this terrible gaping hole wrenched out of his devil's pride, nor satiate the exuberant rage he had been feeling.

Unless… He could use the girl and the prophecy itself to his own advantage.

"Wait, I almost forgot." Byron's voice sounded vaguely in Vergil's barely listening ears. "The woman who kills the queen, she is going to die in turn," the demon said quickly with a somewhat wicked chuckle and then he was gone, where exactly Vergil didn't care.

The half-devil in blue got to his feet in a haze of his buzzing mind and through the turbulent currents of his thoughts, cutting them all down to only one, possible reality. He had to personally see to it that the girl would remain alive, for precisely one month, and then, he would be right there, watching when she killed his arch enemy with fulfilling vengeance, his eyes revelling in her inescapable demise.

And… Should the girl die or not after…that was none of his concern.

His eyes shot with dark focus to his brother who searched the night carefully out of the windows. It was time to get out of there, Vergil surmised grimly, returning to his icy resolve. The moment he'd bring himself to his formidable self, his fulfilment would begin.

Without bothering to dodge the windows, he strode to Dante across the dimly lit room, solid plan forming in his head. His property and hidden accounts had to be reclaimed first, his training room equipped and his faithful old deliveries reinstated. It should take a day or no more than two to move out of Dante's, secure the girl, and another few days to get back into an exceptional shape.

"Let's move. We didn't come here to fight, and we have the information we need. The darkness will cover us," Vergil said in brief, taking off fast through the door.

He was out before Dante could stop him, lingering open mouthed after his hot-headed brother. Shouldn't _he_ be the careless one in the family? On the other hand, Dante was still grossly lacking in the knowing-what-the-hell-had-happened-to-Vergil department, and he had a feeling that it was time to find out a little more.

Dante quickly drew up his arm and summoned Rebellion to his hand. He dove out to the street, a short moment later dodging a swishing dart that flew too close for comfort to his finely chiselled cheekbone. The second one he didn't even hear, only seeing Vergil not far from him as he brought an ice-carved dagger to life in a flawless spin and hurled it straight at Dante.

In the moment's fleeting stillness Dante wondered what had possessed his brother to fire at him, when a ray of crystal blue light connected with a poisoned dart, shattering it to pieces in front of Dante's squinting eyes.

Vergil spared no time as he reached for his brother and gripped his arm, summoning all his power to teleport to a safe distance away.

"Hmm. Very interesting." A deep, stoic voice reached Dante's floating senses.

When the milky white fog gave way to a dark street, empty except his calm and reserved as ever twin, Dante steadied himself against the wall. "Whoa! Some warning maybe before you demoleculise my carefully arranged body?" He quickly checked himself over, taking an inventory of his parts. "I didn't even know you could do that," he protested in an irked tone, although fortunately all seemed still the way he liked it.

"Nor did I," Vergil flashed up his eyebrows, observing his intact mirror half. "Now we are even," he added matter-of-factly, about to whisk himself down the cobbled alley.

"What do you mean 'even'? I thought I told you I didn't save you. Rain did," Dante looked up at Vergil's lingering face. Maybe with enough nagging, this little detail would sink into that thick skull of his.

"You mistake me, brother. I am making us even for taking care of Yamato. I dare to admit I never thought you had it in you to pay attention to such detail," Vergil bit back on sarcasm, reminding himself of his duty to recognise one's deeds. Of course in his mind deeds were to be returned, not acknowledged with words.

Dante didn't answer for a while, having not expected his brother to notice anything anyone had done for him. Yet he should have known that Vergil was one to return favours, whether kind or unkind, it did not matter, he had always done so in the past.

He was more than ready to cover for Rain and accept this one favour as his own to protect her in case Vergil wasn't going to be all too understanding. It was though the carefully hidden taunt in Vergil's voice that made him want to stick to honesty, and let him know that humans weren't as useless as he thought. _Just this once._

"She cleaned it," he announced kind of offhandedly, like something that was not worthy of a thought.

The younger twin felt a rare justification moment as he watched Vergil stiffen like a scowling roman sculpture, almost feeling him swallow as if digesting that piece of information was causing him a considerable discomfort.

"Then, you still owe me." Vergil clenched his jaw, unable to take his mounting displeasure from all that had happened at anything but what stood right in front of him. "And…Next time if you were to feel like rushing out so heedlessly whilst knowing our enemies are at a great advantage, kindly don't. I'd care not to make it a habit to save you each time you do," he gritted through his teeth.

_Whoa!_ Dante gaped openly and blankly at his brother. Had Vergil not dropped out like a headless lesser-demon right before him, only causing Dante to come after his irrational twin whose priorities yet again seemed to have been turned upside down? A syllable of disbelief hovered on his tongue when he remembered it was no use to try and argue with Vergil.

"You want to get something to eat?" Dante said instead as he shrugged, sticking to his point of view that food solved everything.

To Vergil's great dismay, the mere mention of the word food suddenly brought an irritant reminder that he too still needed to eat. The stressful day of so many aggravating events only subtracted from the normal length of time he required before his next meal. Furthermore, eating was unfortunately a large part of his plan to recover fully in order to satisfy his pressing need for vengeance.

"Yes, I do," Vergil answered abruptly, forcing himself to embrace some semblance of a patience. Why did everything have to be so much harder now that conscious anger ruled his mind and argued over every logic that tried to prevail? The sooner he'd be done with it all the better.

"I know just the place," Dante announced merrily, glad that Vergil didn't feel like arguing. Like Vergil it seemed, he felt himself slipping into a bad mood, and needed to slow down for a while and talk things through. And the best thing to do all that with was? A nice, well rounded, awesomely decorated pizza.

Dante took off down the narrow alleyway Vergil had transposed them into and led them out of the outer district, the streets soon gaining scattered lights, the occasional passer-byes, and eventually some shops and bars. Soon they were in Dante's territory the half-devil in red knew like the back of his hand.

He dove into one small place that provided a big contrast to the last one and sat on a comfortable stool at a short wooden bar. Vergil followed, observing the surprisingly charming place with interest, and finally sitting down next to Dante.

The scent of wood-fired cooking brushed past their senses and for once Vergil thought it smelled like heaven, indulging in the moment's peaceful euphoria.

"Pizza," the dark twin pronounced somewhat intrigued, suddenly never feeling so hungry in his life.

"Smells great, huh?" Dante lifted his nose to take in the divine aroma.

"I always hated it," Vergil grumbled sourly. No matter how much he tried, this food had always reminded him of past times he knew he could never get back.

"Yeah, but just think of how great you'll look if you take down a whole meat-eater feast! I use it now and then instead of going to the gym." Dante bent his arm and tightened his impeccable biceps, a playful grin stretching across his face.

Vergil glared for a moment with his usual aloofness, but then the brooding lines around his never smiling mouth relaxed a little and he gave a slow, vibrating chuckle.

Odd, Dante thought, but in that tiny space of time it almost made him feel like there was no worry in the world. Like they were just going home after an honest day's work. Like Rain wasn't supposed to kill the Queen of Hell which was so obscenely suicidal and impossible to comprehend. Like Vergil didn't want to kill himself again by trying to defeat the said Queen even though he wasn't able to touch her, as he had seen in his eyes. Like… Dante quickly ordered two meat-feasts and two light beers from the bartender before anything else could go wrong, and whipped his head back to Vergil who had since stopped laughing.

"You do not ask." Vergil looked his twin brother squarely in the eyes. "It's starting to bother me," he said sullenly.

"Oh yeah, I was getting to that," Dante gave a quick uneasy laugh before his expression hardened. "You were that bitch's _hand_?" He asked in a voice laced with an incredulous disbelief.

Two pairs of identical eyes locked together, and neither said anything for a while, only the clock on the wall ticked, creeping deeper and louder into the silence.

"At least my mistake was short lived," Vergil pointed out suddenly in a hushed voice.

Dante quietly observed two other figures sitting by the window, a human couple feeding each other slices of healthy looking vegetarian pizza, harmlessly laughing when one small piece fell into the young woman's skirt. He never had to be worried here. It was as if time itself had stopped in this cosy little place, never letting anything bad to happen to anyone who entered. Was it why maybe subconsciously he took them here?

Dante's lips tightened into a solid line before he spoke. "I'd go to Hell and kill that hag myself since I know that's what you want to do, and I can't say I don't want her dead either before she kills Rain, Lady or anyone else like those people here, but then I guess that wouldn't be enough for you. You want to watch her suffer and humiliated, just like I did with her twisted brother, to prove that Sparda's bloodline is not to be discarded and spat upon. Not to mention you'd never let anyone else do your own dirty work, you are too much into the old ways to do that. Am I right so far?"

When Vergil somewhat shifted uncomfortably, concealing his growing amazement at Dante's excellent intuition, when he said nothing, Dante continued. "Knowing you, you'd never tell me what she has done to you but judging so far from what I have heard about her, and from what I know gets you the most, it must have been something disgustingly degrading, scurvy and totally gutless. Something even worse than what you suffered in that ghastly cell," Dante hated to say those words, seeing as the lights dimmed promptly in Vergil's eyes, suggesting he was being right. But the younger twin needed to know, if he was going to do what he was about to say next.

"So, I am willing to go with you and do whatever you want to do about this, but just so you know I don't believe in any of this prophecy malarkey and I will do what I can to make sure that nothing happens to Rain or anyone else," Dante made his point clear, glancing back at Vergil whose wistful eyes peered nowhere in particular. Was he even listening?

"You haven't asked anything," Vergil said suddenly, monotonously, watching as the middle-aged, shaggy haired bartender pulled their pizzas out of the oven and placed them on two round wooden plates, about to take them over.

"I needed to know that we are both on the same page." Dante tapped his fingers on the counter, moving his hand as the food arrived, two large jags of beer closely following.

"And are we?" Vergil inquired absently, gazing at the amber liquid that he had a sudden desire to drink. He'd need something much stronger though to get through this whole mess.

Dante didn't answer as he took a slice with his fingers pensively, seeing as Vergil beckoned the waiter to get him some cutlery to cut his pizza with, and a wad of napkins like he was eating in a posh restaurant. Sometimes, they couldn't be more on a different page even if they tried, Dante sighed inwardly.

Their dinner took a while as Vergil ate slowly, cutting each piece into perfect squares while Dante gulped it all down in a matter of minutes. The beer was drunk a lot faster, flushing down not only the pizza but also the bad taste left after the unusually crappy day.

They made it back to Devil May Cry late in the night as the streets and rooftops lay in darkness, the moon now swallowed fully by the gathering clouds. It was all so quiet as if everything had gone to sleep, foes and humans alike.

Dante opened the door of the silent office, only a table lamp flickering inside. Lady sat in Dante's chair, her desert eagle pointing square in his face, waiting to see who had entered.

"You took your time," she said with an undercurrent of annoyance in her voice as she dropped down her gun. It has been five hours since they had left and idleness wasn't Lady's idea of time well spent. Although she would never break her promise and was prepared to carry Rain to safety herself if things got a little complicated, at most times she preferred to work alone.

"Ah, keep your pants on. This place is sealed tighter than a water balloon." Dante waved her off. It was true though, nothing demonic apart from Sparda's blood could get in too easily. If anything was to attack them, it was most likely to be outside.

"That's not what I meant. You know I can take care of myself," Lady snapped, feeling rather irked and tired. Where the hell have they been? She loved to clean her guns, but not for five hours straight while watching the door, when she could have been earning money on a job. Friends shouldn't be left alone for so long. What if that monstrosity decided to have a twin brother that came looking for revenge? "And by the way? Didn't you know that water balloons are prone to exploding?" She sent Dante a crooked face.

"Yeah, but only when you're involved." He gave her a charming grin.

"Ha ha." Lady rolled her eyes. "She'd be a dead meat if I wasn't _involved_. Don't you forget that," she said with a mocking scowl as she got up from the chair while holstering her gun in one move. Then she grabbed her Kalina Ann, securing the cannon over her shoulder. Of course she'd never admit that she might have been a little uneasy all that while.

Vergil emerged silently from behind Dante, arching an eyebrow on his otherwise expressionless face. He remembered this woman as brash and irritable as ever but would have thought that time and maturity would have somewhat brought out a more feminine side a normal female should possess. Apparently, no such luck.

"Oh and thanks for the dinner. If I knew you actually could buy edible food I'd stay more often." She winked at Dante sarcastically, adorning Vergil with an irresistible half-smile.

"Well maybe that's why I don't buy anything edible," Dante said with a shrug as he walked over to check on Rain. She seemed to have been sleeping, her chest rising in regular rhythm together with her hand resting peacefully on her stomach. Her colour was back as if she had not been poisoned only hours before.

Lady threw back an unimpressed scowl, thinking it was time to leave as even Dante seemed in a particularly bad mood. "Yeah right. Anyway, don't count of her being much company. She was out most of the time. But now I think that she's sleeping." With those slightly softer words, Lady walked out into the night.

Like a silent ghost Vergil appeared next to Dante, sparing a glance at the door.

"I guess, she might be a little difficult sometimes, but one can always count on her word," Dante assured his brother without looking at him or paying much attention to Lady leaving, already wondering whether to break the exciting news they had found out to Rain. Why did things always have to be so complicated?

"I would suggest next time we give her a call," Vergil observed monotonously, not insisting on complicating the matters with a further discussion. Pointless distractions were just that, pointless, and they could make him lose a sight of his primary goal. A mistake he would care not to make.

It would be prudent if he observed the girl more closely in order to learn what she was capable of. He had to be certain whether it was even remotely feasible for her to kill the Queen of Hell. After all, some things were not as impossible as they seemed, since she had nearly killed him with that poison her own family had developed. Perhaps there was more they were doing in the meantime, perfecting their plans in secrecy, all the while she held all the focus of Hell, until such time when they were ready… In one month's time.

"I'd feel better if she slept upstairs while I take the sofa, in case something happens since that scumbag Kuro is still likely creeping somewhere in town," Dante mumbled more to himself, bending to give Rebellion a deserved rest against the sturdy desk.

"Then by all means, start feeling better," Vergil said with a cold finality only he could deliver, moving to the couch with a flurry of his leather coat. He picked up Rain in his arms with one smooth move, her cascading hair slipping from her shoulders to dangle freely in the air.

Dante opened his mouth to somehow protest against something he found no reason to protest against. It must have been the unexpected abruptness of the change in Vergil's attitude towards the girl that made him jump. Although he knew that Vergil would not hurt her in any way, it was precisely that fact that got him worried. It was scarily obvious his pragmatic and ruthless twin only found the need to protect the girl for his precious, personal gain.

He watched Vergil carry Rain up the stairs, as if she belonged to him like a prize you only win once in a lifetime. He knew that Vergil wouldn't let go, decimating all that would even look at her wrong. This was welcomed, for now, as it would take some pressure of Dante's back and put a focus in Vergil's mind other than a cold-hearted revenge at any cost. As long as those in his way wouldn't be ordinary humans.

"So good night then," Dante called after Vergil, sitting down on the sofa warmed and scented after her. What was to happen in one month's time, and how they would get there, he dared not to think about. However, he'd be damned if he lost another woman in his life he had grown to be fond of.

Vergil though had no such soul-searching thoughts as he lowered Rain down onto the bed, first flicking off a few large pieces of splintered wood with his fingers. He'd order a new headboard first thing in the morning, not accustomed to owing to anyone for very long. The same went for the clothes he'd pay for once he had his finances back in order. However, his debt to _her _would not be so easy to repay.

His fathomless ice-blue eyes drifted to the face lit only by a feeble light from a bedside table lamp. There was certain desirable serenity and peacefulness in her that he had not seen in anyone he had met before. She seemed to possess this natural certainty, not wear it as a mask, even whilst in an unpleasant argument or in a fight. It was as if she had lived for the moment and accepted life with everything, whether good or bad, whilst focusing that little more on the joy of the smallest things rather than on anything threatening to take that life away. He wondered for only a brief moment what it would be like to enjoy the same, only knowing well that he wasn't capable of doing so.

She seemed quite different from Lady he assessed, for Lady more exuded confidence in her abilities and actions, and endless will to exact her hate driven goals. She was no weakling which was admirable for a human woman yet she was such an aggravating character, brash and presumptuous; she could strip down his every nerve if he had been exposed to her for too long. She wore a devious face for the most part and she would never look this innocent even in her sleep. Lady was tempting her fate with her female arrogance.

Rain, on the other hand, only showed passion for what she believed was right, while embracing her own fate with dignity and grace.

A fate that would soon come to its abrupt end.

He reached out and softly pulled the duvet over her with one hand. She didn't need to know she'd soon die, for what would be the point? To alter the course of events he didn't care to change? Not that he necessarily believed, given the volatile nature of prophecies and their incalculable fulfilments, yet he had every reason to believe in this one. No, he had every _need_ to believe in this one.

He turned off the light and dragged the chair that stood still by the bed to the far corner near the door. From there, he'd have the best view of the room, seeing any intruders if ever they were to enter through the door or by the window. The night was particularly dark that day, shrouded in a black cloak of uncertainty that had a nasty habit to show up way too often in his supposedly carefully calculated life.

Yamato resting in his lap with his hand wrapped around the silk-bound hilt, his eyes changed to crystalline blue as they adjusted for the night. He had always slept with one eye open, no matter how tired or deprived of that pesky human need. At least he should thank to the blessings of his demon heritage that absorbed everything he ate and drunk, sparing him of the indignities of letting the human body dispose of unwanted particles in the most primitive ways.

_Oh splendid._ What a way to end a day's journey of the mind, thinking of human toilets.

Perhaps it was time to think about something far worse…

Such as how much the Queen of Hell had wanted an heir. He had accepted his untoward ascension to be her right hand as an opportunity to safeguard his personal goals; all the while she had been using him for his bloodline to create the most powerful being in the underworld…in the most sickening way once her seductions began to fade in vain.

He pressed his eyes shut, and instantly the shreds of the past not so long gone would stream freely through his head, playing like broken records of nightmares caught forever behind the darkness of his tremulous eyelids.

There was always a light, changing through his fading perception, drastically and sharply, from the usual dimness of a daylight trapped somewhere inside to a very prominent red, blinding and distracting, flooding everything to the farthest corners of his vision.

He swiped at the scarlet hell, bubbling like a vicious acid burning through the space in front of him, scraping at his eyes. They couldn't open anymore as the sea of crimson sealed them tight, blood oozing from every pore, pouring from every tear duct to rush out like a river over his naked body. He stood in the scent of bitter iron, knee deep, wading in blindness, tripping over to slam down hard into a soft woman's flesh.

_All you need to do is to be hers, and all this would stop right now. _

Only his eyes were not shut, they were suddenly wide open.

The room he stood in was covered in red. Whether it was real or his eyes were simply bleeding he didn't know.

He looked down in a cloudy haze as an overdose of drugs pulsed through his veins. He discerned his own bare feet, submerged in distorted swirls of burgundy, feeling like satin against his skin. Something of a lighter shade dripped fresh from somewhere above, as if from his head that felt like pierced by a thousand infernal nails. He moved his toe like it wasn't his, the nauseating feeling of the caressing softness telling him that it must have been in her bed.

There was another foot an inch from his, he only noticed, long nails painted that dreadful dark red, young smooth flesh turning shrivelled and dry in a flash, the nails morphing into hideous curved talons protruding out.

A gushing spray of blood splattered across the bedroom floor, seemingly from his mouth as his head flew to the side with a sickly crunch, sending him reeling backwards with a harsh tug at his straining arms. It was hard to concentrate on breathing as a brutal blunt force then knocked him to his knees, arms shattering as they were tied and stretched up high.

More naked flesh came to his disgusted view together with a frustrated demonic howl, the slender and long legs human again, twisting and writhing in a languid orgy, beautiful and glamorous, yet repulsive and vile as they glided through the sweat and specks of blood covering his skin, smearing the sanguine liquid all over him and through his delirious vision, deeper and deeper, lapping at his dignity, raping his pride.

_I will not give you what you want. _

His breath became one long exhale of pain, sight a sea of red as a pair of elongated fangs, a diabolical gift of a succubus sunk deep into the blue veins running down his neck. One by one they released an unholy temptation into his bloodstream, stretched out palms gliding vulgarly, nauseatingly across his smooth, sweat-dampened face and all over his bleeding mouth.

He felt his body shudder violently, involuntarily at the unwelcomed waves of forced exquisite pleasure battering at his every nerve and organ, invasively, degradingly, grasping for his primal senses.

He clenched his teeth with a long, low grunt as he flung his head backwards, summoning a rage fuelled laughter that broke out through the disgrace of her long scraping fingers and the vile scent of her seductive devil-perfume. His dark, frosty chuckle brought him a clear vision of her fuming, immodestly painted face, ugly with her vile intentions, flushing all pleasure instantly from his conscience.

_The wretched, treacherous hag you are, you will never receive this part of me!_

A blood-curdling scream of rabid frustration and blazing fury rattled the cage of blurry red floating around him.

"I didn't scream."

_Yes, you did._ And it had pleased him so…

"I didn't scream!"

His eyes snapped open into a pitch black.

Vergil glanced about the room groggily, eyes blinking to adjust to the dark. He brought his hand up to his forehead, touching the droplets of perspiration feeling like tiny stings of ice in the much colder air. He paused for a few moments, trying to determine where he was, when he perceived a movement and whipped his head toward the other end of the room.

"I didn't scream. I didn't do it. I didn't…" Tiny, desperate sobs broke through the still blackness, making their way into his ears.

Slowly, Vergil rose from the chair and sauntered across the floorboards, Yamato faithful by his side. His eyes gained a luminous sheen and begun to glow gently in the dark, making his combed back hair glisten a light blue. The lucent eyes fell on the girl, watching her silently as she tossed and turned, breaths shallow and fast.

He reached out his hand to her as if to brush her sweat-dampened hair out of her glistening face, but then moved to her shoulder and shook her firmly with a light force.

The bed rustled and a form lifted from the crumpled sheets, two green eyes opening to see a pair of fireflies hovering in the dark of the night. Her eyes widened instantly, a hand grabbing for something to smash the demon that must have sneaked up on her while she was asleep. Asleep…But where?

"You seemed to have been talking in a nightmare. There is no need to worry, you are safe," Vergil said reassuringly, turning to leave and go sit back in the chair.

At hearing the voice at first Rain didn't know whether to stop looking for the illusive weapon or double her efforts, gazing confused into the murky dark as the fireflies had disappeared.

"Good night," Rain whispered at his retreating steps, waiting for a click of the closing door that never came. She then saw a glimmer of those shining blue eyes, settling without a sound in the darkest corner of the bedroom, below a flash of light that reflected of the guard of his sword before sinking back into the shadows.

Rain lowered her head down to the pillow, looking into the night for a while, knowing that he was there, watching and guarding. Guarding _her_ it seemed, even though she had no idea why. Did Dante put him up to it? Maybe, just maybe, he'd make a good protector after all, Rain thought wonderingly, if only she didn't have this lingering feeling that he'd kill her for the smallest of things, like touching his sword.

Yet none of this protecting was going to happen. At least never at night.

She closed her eyes, having no intention to try and sleep, not now when she knew that her nightmares may have been speaking out loud. Whatever dark secrets they carried was her own burden to bear and no one else had the right to know. No one could _ever_ know what she had done.

As soon as the morning would come rolling in, she would go back to her place and sleep in the dark privacy of her own bedroom, on her own, and behind well closed doors, where not a soul could hear a word.

…..

_**A/N:**__ Please tell me a lot of you are still reading stories based on the original DMC and that the completely disgraceful and ridiculous reboot is not making you read less now? Otherwise that would really put me of writing. *sad face* After all, seriously, which Vergil would you prefer? The DMC one or the DmC one (with a stupid hat and holding Yamato like a cane)? _ _


	9. Blood Coated Chocolates

**CH 9 – Blood coated chocolates**

Her eyes fluttered open in the silky rays of a newly risen morning sun, slowly recognising the modest room she had been spending so much of the strangest time as of lately. The half broken bed she was lying in, still infused with his scent that brought up memories of that dreadful night, the comfortable old chair that had felt the differing forms of them all, now left empty in the corner, void of even the presence she had felt there the whole night.

It was time to go to her present home and stop wanting to be reliant on something that was not meant to last. On something…someone who was only an illusion for the most part, a false hope, an intriguing curiosity that she couldn't satisfy without getting hurt. And in the case of Dante, she couldn't stand _him_ getting hurt.

Vergil could never be her protector when she secretly wondered if he'd be her killer only the next day. Should he ever find out what she had been hiding, should any of them know, she'd not be so safe anymore, even amongst the friends she had been so lucky to find. She had to do it herself, find a better protection, somehow strengthen her defences and say goodbye to the new life that could never be hers.

Rolling sleepily off the creased sheets, Rain stood up slowly, stretching her arms in the gentle warmth bleeding in through the window. A small shimmer caught her attention in the corner of her eye and she looked to the side to see her swords leaning against the bedside table, all neat and carefully arranged. She picked them up, briefly befuddled whether she had used and dirtied them recently as they seemed so polished and clean.

Giving a dismissive shake of her head, Rain plunged the katanas into their case and stepped out through the opened door. The bathroom was empty and she quickly used it before hurrying down the corridor and down the stairs, while it seemed so still and quiet as if no one was there. Just a few more steps and she would be in the garage and inside her car. They didn't need her anymore with Vergil well clear of the poison.

"Rain!" The nerves in her stomach tugged, and her head whipped to the kitchen door. "We have a bit of a situation," Dante's voice was booming in her ears as he was suddenly there. She started for a second at his words, thinking Vergil might have gotten worse for some reason, when he threw an arm over her shoulders enthusiastically and dragged her with him, well away from her easy getaway.

With no chance to protest or say a word, she soon found herself sitting at the small round table in his cosy kitchen, the smell of freshly made toast and strawberry jam wafting in the air. Her eyes fell on a plate seemingly prepared for her, a pair of long fingers subtly placing down the wonderfully browned bread for her nose to relish. She followed the retreating hand, ending to gaze up at Vergil who sat back in his chair, very much well and fine, his coldly calm and nonchalant demeanour sending bolts of shivers down her spine.

It was odd to her to think of it as he looked so…well, unaffected. He had been outraged from her mind-numbing revelation just the day before. And where did he get those fine new clothes? Were they Dante's? Strangely, that attire seemed to lend him an even less approachable feel, she thought, yet somewhat magnetic and darkly enticing at the same time. Rain narrowed her eyes as they unwillingly dropped to his arms and chest, thinking she was either seeing double or there was twice the muscle than before cultivating under that black pullover that seemed made just for him.

"There is some trouble in town. Demons are hassling two of my favourite sources of enjoyment in the fourth district. _My district_. We think it might have something to do with yesterday's unexpectedly stinky visit, figuring it's a trap and all, but that's what we are gonna go and find out," Dante began to explain, circling the table.

"And you think it's a good idea to go?" Rain asked unsurely as she snatched her eyes from Vergil, already dreading how far this had gone. That Ghaul thing had nearly killed them all and now they wanted to go in a possible trap voluntarily? Maybe it was truly a time to get out of town and take the danger away from them.

"Yeah," Dante said like it was obvious. "That's why you go with Vergil to the chocolate factory, and I'll pick up Lady and we'll take her bike and go to the brewery. It's safer where we can expect trouble rather than where we can't," Dante justified his reasoning matter-of-factly as he stopped across the table from Rain, boring his decision into her eyes.

Rain picked up a toast and chewed on a small piece. There was no way to get out of this, was there? "But what if I preferred beer?" Rain protested poorly as she really loved chocolates, already knowing that she would need to do as he had asked. She still owed them all a big time for saving her from certain death and her own proper etiquette would not let her deny her honoured friend's wishes. Plus Dante's blue eyes were unwavering and ever so convincing.

"Then we can swap if that's what you want?" Dante winked at her comfortingly, sounding confident and at ease on the surface. Underneath though, he was shaken and unconvinced. He had decided not to tell her about the prophecy for now and worry her even more. Whether this was right he didn't know. Should she know it was the Princess of Darkness and the ruler of the Underworld herself going after her, would she disappear and never come back again in thinking that she'd protect them? Most likely and no matter how stupid, he thought grimly, seeing that stubborn resignation and wilful insistence of no one getting hurt came back in force into her eyes just like the first day they had met.

She had to be shown that they didn't need any protection, that this was their normal pace of life to be threatened day after day. And hopefully, Dante betted on his great intuition, Vergil would be able to show her that he could more than take care of himself when it came to demonic troubles, especially when he was sober from his disillusions of power.

So he had asked Vergil for them both to stay quiet at least until they could figure out to what extent the prophecy could be true, not that Vergil, damn him, needed to be told. But at least in the meantime, his older brother would be watching over her like a relentless cold-blooded hellhound while assessing her abilities and if things got too rough he was able to transport them both to a safer location at any time.

'_If that's what you want?'_ Rain repeated his words in her head. Did she even know what she wanted? She had never been this undecided in her life. On one hand her instincts nudged her to bolt out and take her troubles as far away as she could, yet on the other, she wanted so badly to stay and learn to trust someone who could handle things just fine. A good way to start would be to see just how much she could trust Dante in entrusting her to Vergil. She had been surprised Dante had thought it a commonplace to send her away with his brother alone after the tension between them, and became somewhat curious as to why.

"Actually, I never liked beer. I always loved chocolates. When do we leave?" Rain asked firmly but softly, changing her unsettled eyes to calmly resolute as she lifted them from the half eaten jam toast to Dante.

"When you finish your breakfast." Dante said.

Rain placed the last piece of the crusty bread into her mouth and lifted a mug of hot green tea that was by her plate, drinking the lot in one go. She then stood up from her chair. "Then let's go. I'll take my car and then I can go back to my place. I have some business of my own to attend to afterwards." She gave them both a quick look in expectant wait.

_Yeah like packing and leaving?_ Dante spared Vergil a worried glance conveying his fears, asking him with his eyes not to let her out of his sight.

"You can get your car at any time after but we need to leave on bikes. The alleyways at the back of the place are pretty narrow for a car and this is the way we'll get in. And, if you need to," Dante said as his face drew into a serious look. "It's also the fastest way to get out."

"Bike? I have never…" Rain paused, suddenly acutely conscious of the things she had never done that others seemed to view as matter of course.

"Vergil here will drive. You'll be perfectly fine. He told me he still remembered where the gas was and that's all you're gonna need, right?" He lifted up his lip, charming confidence oozing out of his pores.

"If you think so," she said distractedly as he was already gently pushing her out of the kitchen and to the garage door.

Dante stepped inside the garage, opening the outside door with a push of a button and moved to pull a dust cover off his prized possession. It was all painted in devil-red apart from a pair of heavily polished silver exhausts rising high into the air on each side and a sexily curved black leather seat for two. A large silver skull guarded the engine above a pair of massive alloy wheels.

"You better not scratch it," Dante said with a short snorting laugh, having an irreversible moment of regret as he tossed the keys to Vergil. He had rarely used his motorbike on missions, always preferring to ride it on the days of relaxation, when the hot sunset would make the paint glow like fire. This time however, things were different and he only wished he could be sure that his brother still held pride and value in things of beauty, like he had done once in the past.

Saying nothing, Vergil walked to the belle in red and sat on the seat that gently arched under him with a hidden joy. He would rather suffer a thousand deaths in Hell than to let anything happen to a precious jewel like this. In fact, feeling the divine cold steel of the handles tingle the ends of his sensitive nerves and the hungry vibrations as he brought the engine to life, he began to crave a treasure like this of his own. Soon…very soon.

Drawing a fuzzy eight with Yamato in the air around him, Vergil holstered his sword inside the machine, the handle braced against the wavy steel bars where he could unsheathe the blade easily with one hand. He looked behind him and wordlessly, suggestively his eyes travelled to rest on Rain.

She flinched as if asked to step from a high ledge into thin air, wiping her hand that suddenly perspired into her ripped black leather trousers as she forced her feet to carry her and sat behind Vergil. The rear half of the seat was a bit higher than where he sat and she appeared almost the same height as him, his form though much larger and so terribly close.

Her eyes suddenly blurred as they stared at the expanse of a warm, breathing body she was supposed to embrace. It had been eight long years since she had last pulled herself close to someone else's warmth and it had been the worst day of her life. Stalling the fear that so uninvitingly flooded her soul, she drew in a deep breath as she flung her sword case over her shoulder, adjusting the straps like they didn't fit although they had fitted a countless times before.

"Are you ready?" A voice of slight impatience yet darkly polite pulled her attention back to Vergil and the loosely hanging sides of his coat. Maybe if she just held on to the fabric alone?

"I may not have been in this world for a long time but I assure you I do not intend to take it easy. Therefore, I strongly advise you hold on unless you plan on staying behind." He revved the engine while gripping the clutch, then loosened it briefly to let the rear tyre flash ahead, forcing the girl behind him to grab his sides tight.

He then let go of the clutch completely, the bike flying out of the opened door and into the empty street, dappled with a shadow of the only tree that broke the sea of dull grey in this part of town.

"Vergil? You remember _careful_ right?" Rain heard Dante call from behind, her eyes pressed shut as she held on to Vergil. She felt the speed gather around them, the smooth wisps of her hair billowing around her head and face. Her form softly shaking, she kept her eyes closed the entire time, focusing her mind on the pleasing sound of the whistling wind against the noise of the city, mixing in turns with the low, rumbling song of the engine.

They twisted quickly and smoothly like a graceful sidewinder snake through the heavy traffic and later more and more empty streets. The wind and the deep growl of the motorbike then died down, many long minutes later, yet it did not register with Rain.

"We are here. You can let go now." His voice was the brief rumble now, in the deathly silence that stretched all around them. Rain detached her hands from his muscle coated ribs and opened her eyes, startled at the ghostly stillness that hugged her ears. It had always been like this when demons were about, very close, scaring off all creatures and things alike into fleeing or making no sounds.

He waited for her to jump off the seat before swinging his leg over to dismount himself. He then stood for a moment unmoving, gazing at a group of low buildings in a near distance, guarded by a high barbed fence. His eyes scoured the grounds of the recently closed factory, abandoned on a very short notice as trucks and crates still lingered half-loaded outside. There was a narrow path leading down to a set of small locked doors overgrown by ivy underneath the level of ground, seemingly the exit from the underground passageways built and used in times the city had been in a civil war, many decades ago.

Face set in an unbroken calm, Vergil pulled out his blade from the bike, only thinking of missing his soft leather gloves as his bare hand gripped the snow-white handle. He hated the feel of blood on his hands when fighting with his sword; it had always made his precision less than exceptional.

With a flash of a scowl marring his face he strode to the top of the descending path, beckoning for Rain to follow with the hand that held his blade. He proceeded down to the shadowed, rusty gate and brushed aside the ivy, then leaned into the door with all his weight. It wouldn't budge. He tried to pull the heavy chain wrapped around two thick handles, but it was too strong and fused together with time, connected to a massive lock that held the door shut tight no matter how many times he tried to shake it.

He sensed her standing behind him with an unflinching gaze yet she remained silent, unlike his creative little brother or the resentful Lady who would have most likely produced some unhelpful sarcastic remark. Even as he turned to meet her eyes curiously, her face, nestled between strands of gold, was unchanged from the usual placid and very much…non-judgmental, and…beautiful.

Vergil gazed at her for a moment, longer than he had wished to, wondering where she had learned the silent and patient respect she was showing. Perhaps she had been sincere in her regret of helping to create the poison that could have destroyed all demons, and now possibly also all humans. There was still someone however walking on the surface of this world who shared no such regrets at all in continuing to use it.

The unholy thoughts of Kuro lent him a renewed vigour of anger and he gripped the hilt of Yamato as he whipped back to the gate. Hate being another matter, he couldn't afford any sentiments about the girl if he was to remain focused, or more accurately, get himself into focus in the first place.

A lightning of blue erupted from the sheath, the sword returned to its saya before Rain could blink and the lock, sliced in half, began to fall down to the ground.

"I am going first," Vergil said resolutely in his deep voice, drizzled with a hint of a snarl as he stepped through the door opening as soon as the chain unwound from the handles. He willed himself into control, already sensing that something was amiss within the space of the buildings ahead. He had to remain calm at all cost, for the sake of the girl and for his own.

It was no easy task though as they both entered the semi-darkness of the tunnel, dampened air clinging to their skin together with an earthy smell of moss soaked for too long by soft drips of water that fell endlessly from the slick, stony ceiling. The sensations were too much alike to those in that soul destroying cell, causing him to close his eyes in order to squeeze those absurd feelings out of his head.

"What's wrong?" He heard her voice, steady and kind, with no presence of deceit or mockery, strangely helping to weave him out of the unbecoming web of dread he was feeling. Shame she didn't talk more, he thought unexpectedly, surprising himself. It was perhaps the silence that sent him spiralling into this unwelcomed, hindering state, he justified his rather unusual inward request.

"It's nothing," he dismissed her concern as he opened his eyes, resuming to move deeper into the darkening and narrowing passageway, reluctantly pondering how to strike a little conversation. It would help him to keep his concentration, now so much needed when he felt such a mixed, disturbing presence up ahead.

"Are you afraid of riding on a bike?" He asked casually, all the while walking in a steady pace towards the factory complex as the light diminished behind them completely, stealing their shadows that had led the way till now.

"Wh…What?" Rain walked behind him, stumbling on a stone as she could no longer see. It was getting a lot warmer and humid, like in some egg incubator, causing her to perspire and shiver at the same time.

"You had your eyes closed the entire time." She only heard his smooth voice, more melodic than before, ahead and lost in the absolute dark. A creepy feeling rose inside her when the softest blue light illuminated the way.

"How do you know that?" She said slightly breathless, realising the gentle light came from his eyes. "Your eyes, they glow in the dark and you can also see what's behind you?" She asked intrigued, never actually seeing such phenomenon in any demon. Dante had not glowed like that at all, although she had not quite been with him in a complete black so she wouldn't really know.

"I saw you in the mirrors," Vergil said naturally, somewhat trampling on her awe.

"Oh." Rain felt a little foolish and wanted to laugh, when he suddenly turned around, those eyes of his like two fluorescent lanterns of the deepest ice, scary and menacing. Rain stiffened instantly, seeing a dagger of the same colour, translucent, becoming alive in the dark, its glistening razor sharp edge aligned with frightening precision to her head.

She froze even more in a moment's hesitation as she watched the dagger dislodge itself from its current place and accelerate with a tremendous speed towards the centre of her eyes. Only it never connected with her skin and pierced her brain as she had expected, the ghostly knife flashing past her in a beautiful veil of blue, sweeping something from the top of her briefly windblown hair. With a gruesome screech of a demon, a rat possessing eyes that shone as intensely red as the setting sun, fell to the ground.

"A rat," Vergil said calmly like he had swatted it off with his hand.

Speechless, Rain didn't feel like arguing, still a little shaken from the unexpected attack that for a second she thought had been aimed at her.

"You're welcome," he added in a dark politeness, turning away from the still unmoving girl, when his head whipped back to her direction, Yamato ready to be drawn.

Rain had never felt so disgusted and so dirty as a horde of rats broke through the ceiling above her, pouring out in an endless heap, falling on her head like viciously rotting piles of trash. They fell on her hair, shoulders and breasts, swallowing her whole in an ugly tangle of scraping claws, and horribly wet, awfully smelling fur.

Thought it took only a second, it wasn't until she had felt their diseased breaths and gnawing fangs about to rip open her skin that she knew they were all demonic, now sensing her warm blood with a frantic vigour and unstoppable hunger.

Rain pressed her eyes shut so that the rats couldn't get to them, ready to grab the vile vermin one by one if she had to, to tear them off of her before they ate her alive, when she sensed a soothing coldness brush against her entire body and alleviate the horrible feeling of those creatures crawling all over her skin and clothes.

When she finally opened her eyes as no more rats seemed to want to nest on her face, she ended up gazing in frozen disbelief at the most amazing, terrifying demon specimen of them all. Metamorphosed human skin shimmered metallic blue, dotted with angrily bristled armoured scales, a humanoid shape transposed into that of a much larger, stronger superior being, shoulders broad and muscles as hard as steel pulsing with the rhythm of a power-laden heart.

She saw him only shortly before he morphed back into a human, her eyes ever so slowly falling to the disarray of dead rats around her, glowing daggers that pierced each one's heart fading into the murky dark.

He said nothing this time as if thinking something over, as if he didn't need her thanks because this time he might as well have saved her from a serious injury or being infected by some beastly disease, Rain assumed. Most likely he was simply returning her a favour that was on his list to be repaid.

Rain swallowed the disgust lingering in her throat from those half-rotten, rabid creatures while willing her eyes to shrink back from the size of flying saucers, feeling grateful for the cover of darkness that hid her shameful disconcert. She had never seen a highbred demon or a half-demon transform into their higher devil form before. It was unheard of for a human to see such a rare spectacle as highborn devils never had the need to call upon their superior powers to dispatch of a mere human, and even less likely to save one.

Rain knew at that very moment that Vergil had done so for a very specific reason. He had done so because he must have been desperate to keep her alive, but the reason why became to intrigue her. Did he owe something to Dante, something strong enough, maybe blood-binding for him to go this far? The customs of highbred devils to return deeds with deeds were quite familiar to her, yet somehow this seemed too extreme for him to be simply returning a favour to her. If it was though, then there would be only one more deed for him to repay, one evened up just now for healing him, and one to go for saving his life.

"Thank you," Rain said purposefully, gratefully, hoping for some sort of a counterargument or a dismissal to confirm her beliefs. Yet he retained his mysterious silence, walking away with those blue lanterns of his, leaving her dumbfounded and befuddled behind.

For a short while though Vergil forgot about the girl and the bravery he had not seen in a human before. He instead bathed in the afterglow of his transformation, thrilled at the unexpected awakening of his demonic blood. He felt more powerful every passing hour. Soon he'd be able to keep the girl safe from almost anything, and he would need to be very careful indeed as those infected rats had been reeking of the same base poison he had been so intimately acquainted with. This whole place smelled like one giant rat, and he was almost considering turning back was it not for his even stronger pride that nudged him further on into the foreboding tunnel.

Some moments later they reached the end of the narrow underground passage where four flights of steel stairs led to another set of double doors. After ascending the stairs slowly with Rain right behind, Vergil placed his hand on the handle, and opened the door.

A large space greeted them, a massive warehouse of various crates stacked up sky-high on countless rows of shelves. Forklifts were left in the wide corridors, in most cases in mid turn or half-raised with unopened boxes and with engines still running, lending the place a spooky, uneasy air.

"They all seemed to have left so very suddenly," Rain observed quietly as they moved down the corridor in the middle of the gigantic room, her eyes slipping to his for some semblance of expectations or a simple explanation.

Yet again he said nothing, keeping his thoughts to himself if he had any, hidden from her sight by that distant countenance of his, and it was starting to bother her ever so slightly. A long time ago, when she had used to go on missions still as a child, her father had never kept any information from her, as everything had been considered crucial to know no matter how gruesome or disconcerting it could be. All the bad had always been an equal part of life just as the good.

"You know something don't you?" She asked at last when they reached the other side of the eerie warehouse where the ground sloped upwards in the form of a wide corridor to another space above. Rain saw him grow wary, his fingers digging impatiently into the white hilt of his sword.

Instead of answering he crept higher along the well-lit connecting passage until his eyes could see what lay in the next room. He stopped abruptly, his muscles ceasing to move as his eyes clouded with bleak realisation, a sense of dread storming through his clenching gut.

"Don't make a sound," Vergil whispered darkly.

And Rain now saw why.

They were all there, clear as day in the rays of sunlight bleeding through the windows, amongst snaking belts loaded with assortments of the smoothest chocolates, floating in white coats stained with blood. Their eyes shone deep red, skin much darker than normal in this part of the world, swirling with changing patterns as if the skin itself was alive, reflecting light and shadows alike.

Rain stared at the factory workers, walking around like corpses, like zombies without a purpose, stumbling into walls and into each other as if not knowing what to do or what they were. What could have done such a thing? To all these ordinary, innocent people? What could be so utterly evil? She truly hoped it hadn't been the chocolate.

"They never left," Rain breathed out in sad disbelief.

That is when she realised she had said that out loud, causing over a hundred of red, round pupils turn to her. Their brain-dead-like behaviour gained a definite purpose in that very instant, blood-shot eyes bulging out of their sockets as mouth opened wide to bear demonic teeth, yellow, sharp, and hungry. _Oh shit._

Seeking a reassurance that this was just a bad dream and not a daylight nightmare, Rain glanced to the side where Vergil should have been but he had already started to back away before they were both noticed, which was now too late as the demonised humans finished eyeing them curiously, the curiosity transformed to a vicious, diabolical craving for human flesh and blood.

Vergil stopped in his tracks, a brief hesitation shining in his intensive, contemplating eyes. He could kill any lowborn demons in a blink of an eye but how could he protect _her_ from turning to a demon herself if it took a single little bite or a small drop of their blood to mix with hers? Unless her human flesh was meant to turn into that of a demon so that she could kill the Queen?

No, this was not to be so, he quickly surmised. Even one lowborn could never defeat the Queen and he would not have wished this fate on anyone who did not deserve it.

The question remained what could these creations, these first experiments even do? He suspected not much and he leaned more towards a good practice fight rather than having to retreat, when he saw a few flickers of radiant, crystalline blue amongst the infected humans. The flickers expanded out in their hands and down to the floor, turning into deadly weapons so bright they stole the light from the outside sun.

Disbelieving his eyes, he reached to grab Rain's hand, his mind suddenly made up. He had to get her out of there now and come back on his own. He had to clean this place out before those unfortunate lost souls could get out and spread the infection…with his own blood.

Willing his demon to come forth as he closed his eyes, he soon knew that his previous grandiose welcoming of a returned power had been a little premature. His earlier irrational and shameful to say greedy transformation has now cost him the ability to teleport with another, the low reserves only able to move him alone. It was not him however who needed to be moved.

"Run." He hissed sharply, sending her off to the back of the loading bay with a push of his arm.

They could still get out the way they came, presuming that these demonic clones did not gain any more abilities than Vergil had already seen. It was bad enough that any one of them could parade around with weaponry on demand equal to his, only their aim and combat skills unquestionably far inferior to his own, he would have thought.

As he began to step back with his hand lightly hovering above the guard of Yamato, Vergil kept one eye on Rain as they moved down the wide corridor and retraced their steps to the imposing warehouse.

All the while the demons advanced ever so slowly and silently towards them from the room above as if waiting for some sign or a defining moment to attack. Soon it became very clear as to what they were waiting for when the corners of the warehouse came to their view, more demons pouring out from the side corridors, surrounding them from all four sides and blocking their way out.

As if seeing the bleak realisation sink into the eyes of their prey, the demons suddenly lunged forth, scythes and blades raised high, their horrific howls and maddening loud hum flooding into the space around Vergil and Rain.

Vergil knew then he'd have to fight them right there, hoping the girl had some sense of self-preservation like most humans were meant to have, and would keep out of his way.

"Climb!" He urged, looking upward to the top of the nearest shelf that had no crates blocking the way.

"I can fight! And I need to fight from the ground," Rain protested firmly, not understanding why he had to treat her like a defenceless woman, incapable of holding her own. Had he not seen her with a beast far worse than anything else only the day before? Oh, yes, perhaps not. And yes, she may have had reservations killing what had been ordinary people possibly only hours ago, but…oh, was that why he tried to spare her from fighting?

"Climb damn you, if you want to stay _human_," he added with a heap of irritation marring his smooth, velvety voice.

Rain suddenly blanched. "You know what happened to them don't you?" She asked, her face all grim. She had already started to guess. So many humans would not volunteer to ascend to demonhood like that. They had been infected, and not by an accident either. Someone had done this, and by the wrathful look blazing in his eyes it had been the same person who had poisoned Vergil.

"I know what _will_ happen to them," he growled out while his eyes narrowed to a menacing line. They were no longer a matter of his consideration. They were demons, mere abominations now, cloned of his precious, highborn bloodline, and they had to be destroyed.

"I can find a cure. If only I could get a blood sample from one of them," Rain blurted out almost pleadingly, finding it hard to accept their horrible fate. They would be slaughtered like mistreated dogs that had now become too violent. How could she even think of killing them now, without trying to help?

"Yes, I should ask this one right here to stand still so that you can give it a full examination," Vergil derided, deflecting a sickly scythe bathed in ethereal light with his fast drawn sword. The demon tilted its head, eyes as empty as mere sockets in a skull gleamed with wrathful hate. It produced a deafening, screeching roar and tried cut open Vergil's jugular with a surprisingly precise sweep of its shimmering blade. Vergil bent backwards with startling swiftness to avoid the blow then glided his hand up to slice the demon's humanoid body in diagonal half, the thing still growling and fighting even as its top half was sliding to the ground.

"That's not what I meant and you know it," Rain called out through the noise and clamour, annoyance reaching her voice. He might have been right that there was no dealing with these unfortunates, but at least a little compassion would have been nice.

"Right. You can get their blood off my sword. Now, climb!" He yelled, fighting now five more that seemed to work together, smartly like they were thinking, trying to corner him against the end of the tall shelf.

Vergil glanced fast behind him to ensure Rain had listened and had moved to safety while holding off the approaching horde, to know that he was able to unleash his worst. Now, with his mind and both hands freed, there would be no mercy.

His eyes flashing briefly scarlet, Vergil charged with all his released anger into the crowd. They sensed he was a human yet somewhat also one of their own, the same blood as theirs cursing in his veins. He was imperfect they thought, a filthy, unworthy hybrid, and attacked him with blind fierceness, surrounding him from all sides like a pack of hungry wolves.

From the fray of the new breed of demons and their ghostly weapons a different shade of blue emerged, lighting a perfect sphere of luminous swords that impaled flesh and bone with equal ease right where they came to life. The swords expanded out in all directions unwavering, like well-balanced spears, skewering and cutting all that stood in their way.

Rain finished climbing, cursing she had let him persuade her to get out of the way. She hated to wait and watch when she could have been helping. This would not happen a second time, she swore.

Perched on a top of the very tall shelve, she felt her heart race as she watched with amazed awe as the blue wave detached from Vergil and swept across the room, a good two dozens of the demons falling to the ground, exploding into grains of sand and dust. She had seen a light like this when fighting the giant demon, when she had thought her eyes were deceiving her, but now she knew that it had been real. There was no power like this she had witnessed before, yet it appeared as if all the demons in the warehouse wielded it as well, if only not as powerful as his it seemed. Swords, spears, daggers, scythes, they all came to be and shimmered bright just the same as Vergil's swords, as blue as the purest ice.

And then it occurred to her what these demons really were. They had been created from Vergil's great power, from his own demonic blood, created for some terrible purpose she didn't know. A horror settled in her eyes. It had been bad enough to be able to destroy demons in the most torturous way but now the whole town or even all of humanity was in a great danger.

Was that why they wanted her dead? To terminate her expertise and the ability to possibly stop this gruesome plague they were trying to unleash? But why would they want to destroy humans? Was it some sick revenge on the human race? Determined even more to find a cure Rain leaned down, trying hard to find a way to fight back. She searched more closely through the frantic assault against the half-devil below, looking for any signs of behavioural patterns suggesting the purpose of this grisly feat.

The demons, although there appeared to be some remains of thought as they attacked rather cooperatively, trying to gain the upper hand, they also acted viciously and barbarically with a very raw, instinctual desire to kill everything without the slightest provocation. Whether this had been their main purpose or simply a failed experiment, she might have been able to establish from a good sample of their blood.

By the looks of it, Vergil didn't seem to have any problem spilling gallons of it, his long, elegantly curved sword drenched in the viscous liquid of life that sprayed wide from the katana with every move he made. Still, she had to get back down, and she didn't care anymore if he had any problems with that.

Looking for a way down though, Rain could not help but shift her attention from the humanoid demons to the demonic human, drowning in a short appreciation of his sanguine ballet. He was tall but light on his feet, more so than even Dante when she had seen him dance-fight with the demons.

Vergil may have been hit here and there, sliced rather deep on occasions yet he never flinched, delivering his cuts with enormous skill and ease that could only come from a true samurai master. In fact she could not even trace his moves for the most time, but she knew they were precise and deadly from the way the demons died, knowing that death had found them a second after he had already moved onto the next one.

There would be ten or more coming at him at once, yet he had not moved from a single place, his blade doing the bidding around his regally swaying body, passing behind his back as he turned or biting its razor-sharp edge into flesh and bone as he made an attack, finishing with precise blows to impale their hearts.

They may have been created from the same blood as his but they were mere disciples who could only wish to be as good as him. They had no discipline, no coordination, no passion for the art, only uncontrolled, animalistic desire for destruction and blood, and for suffering and death.

A sudden need to learn more from a true master, to gain his great knowledge in the arts of the sword flooded her heart, together with the feeling of inadequacy in getting by on her own after the basics she had received from her father.

Gazing at him intently as if she could pick up his moves simply by watching, Rain didn't notice the brief shadow flickering high on the wall nor the faintest of noises as a crate shifted somewhere behind her.

She leaned forward over the edge of the steel frame to begin climbing down, observing that the numbers of demons had dwindled yet still remained plentiful, the strenuous onslaught painting Vergil's coat dark plum from shoulder to shoulder and down his back where his defence was the least strong.

It gave her the chills at the thought that he could get infected just the same from their blood, most likely turning into the worst threat this world would have known. She prayed for his soul and prayed for her to be right in that he had fathered this diabolical curse which should have rendered him immune.

That's why she had to be down there, helping rather than fretting in frustrated helplessness. Rain turned to move her foot one level down when a brightly glowing spear splintered the wooden platform where her body had just been.

An opened, plagued mouth dripping with infectious saliva greeted her eyes with a monstrous grin, belonging to a demon that must have ascended the tower from the other side. It jumped at her instantly with an unspeakable speed, in the split second when she had glanced at the other end of the shelf, seeing that there was no way they could have climbed up there. With a trained survival instinct Rain pushed against its reddened white coat with her hands, but the sheer force of its attack made her lose her balance and she was flung hard off the shelf.

Rain quickly grabbed a lower metal frame with both of her hands, legs dangling in the air. Down below the demons began to crowd under her like snarling hyenas while the one above bent over as it picked up its shimmering spear. The poisonous saliva detached disgustingly from its rotten teeth, falling endlessly, agonizingly onto her shoulder, spraying some onto her cheek.

She jerked away her face in desperate protection, the ghastly spear that came down at that very moment missed the centre of her head and instead slid off the back of her shoulder, ripping open her jacket and tearing her skin. The pain not even registering in her drowning thoughts, Rain lifted up her desperate yet determined eyes to the human-demon. They had to be killed, she knew that now.

She felt herself slipping, unable to pull up as a second demon now joined the first on top of the platform, out of nowhere, grinning like a mad clown with its mouth painted red, no doubt from trying to taste the flesh of another.

Anger rushed to her heart, to her legs and arms and a river of adrenalin flooded her whole. With a pained, fortifying cry, she quickly let go with one hand and slipped out her sword from the case on her back. The sword sailed upwards like an avenging angel straight into the demon's chest. The thing stumbled and spat out blood. Rain yanked the blade back, and the demon's form fell over, spraying a waterfall of dust onto its fellow foe on the ground.

The second one though was suddenly a lot smarter, its see-through, mean looking axe already descending onto her remaining holding hand, its face a galore of glee and malice.

Rain let go completely, finding herself floating free in the air. She tried to grab another piece of the metal frame but it was too far and she couldn't reach. She knew that she was falling down. If at least she could take a few of them out before their blood would mix with her own, she thought, readying her sword. She would fall onto her beloved blade before becoming one of them.

_That was a better way to go_…

Yet as she fell, she could not help but notice the nametag still sewed with care onto the work coat of the human-turned-demon above her and suddenly dying wasn't an option anymore. Reminding herself that she had to find a cure at all costs, Rain didn't even hear the alarming commotion underneath her, not knowing what she was falling into.

And fall right into him she did, or rather onto one incredibly strong arm that caught her as if he was sweeping a feather that floated in the air. He had ploughed his way from his fighting stand, seeing as she had been plummeting to her death, massacring dozens of demons with an angered hurricane of blows to get to her on time.

She froze stiff for a moment, her mind taking in his sudden presence while her eyes glazed over the scenes that unfolded so fast in front of her as if an all-round cinema started with the latest horror fresh on the screen. Their faces, she would never forget their faces as their bloodshot eyes, deranged and yet still somewhat human were all looking at her reproachfully, accusingly, and pleadingly for help that she couldn't give.

Just as her questioning gaze locked with one set of those eyes, they became bathed in a river of red as the brain above was sliced in half, the top of the head flying high while the body remained standing still for a while. It then burst into a shower of ash and bone dust, a good handful of the gruesome powder smacking her in her face.

Slowly, she rubbed off the dirt and blinked away the guilt she was trying to see. They were not pleading for help, they were not pleading for anything, only thirsting for their deaths. Never letting her own blood go cold inside, Rain ground her teeth and subdued her strong moral standing, overcame the terrible feeling of wrong nestled in her mind, and began to fight like she had never fought before. _Literally_.

He still held her tight to him, turning fast to wield his sword mainly on the opposite side of her, whether because of not trusting her to fight or simply not taking any chances she didn't know. Yet it didn't leave her with much opportunity to take up the battle on her side with him restricting her so, and it made her unwillingly mad.

"Let me go!" Her frustrated voice suddenly pierced the havoc around them as she tried to get away from him.

"No." Came simply from next to her, his hold on her too solid for her to win free.

She punched one demon square in its face, picturing his face for a short moment, somehow this making it easier for her to get into the spirit of a necessary, unforgiving, violent fight. Her sword sunk deep into the heart of the demon she had broken the already deformed nose of, exiting sideways through the humanoid body with a savage splash of blood.

The blade then blocked a weapon shining blindingly blue with a maddening screech, her leg kicking the demonic sword away from her and straight into the demon's own skull, while her own katana torn asunder the one coming behind the first, the third getting its neck skewered while a guttural battle-cry ripped out from her throat.

Now mad as a fury and covered in their blood Rain swung her head slowly to his side, seeing as he has not lost the nobleness of his stance, nor his face lost its sullen lines as he slaughtered the remaining few, stopping only once they all collapsed and exploded into a heap of blood splattered dust.

As the echoes of the battle and the screams of the dying dissipated into a gravely silence, his arm finally let go of her, slowly lowering her to the ground. Rain felt her pain unpeel from him, only then realising he had shielded the wound on her back all this time by clutching her so tightly to the side of his chest she could not even feel it.

She had forgotten about her wound amidst all the madness, yet he had not said a word, not even threw a sarcastic remark her way about nearly becoming the very rabid animal she was trying to save. Was this his deeds to her now repaid? Probably tenfold if she had her say, and damn her imprudence!

"Here," he said almost soothingly as if he had just fetched a glass of water, offering her the blood on his sword although she had plenty on her own. It was what he had promised however and that was what he delivered.

Without a word Rain reached for a couple of empty vials in her belt and opening the top she held them out to him, trembling ever so slightly from the furious fight. Vergil brought up his katana, letting the blood drip down along the slender steel and into the tiny container, his hand as steady as a rock.

When she had a good sample that she stashed back into its safe place Rain suddenly thought of the other factory that Dante and the other woman went to. Rain only just realised that she didn't even know the name of Dante's intriguing and impulsive female friend, despite the fact that the said friend had tried to kill her and then in turn had saved her life.

"Shouldn't we somehow try and warn Dante, and…his friend?" Rain wondered, not quite knowing whether she could ask Vergil who the woman was since she had tried to kill him too. Perhaps she needed to talk to her herself, find out her side of the story and then thank her for saving her from the monster.

"I already have," Vergil informed her, flicking the rest of the guck from his katana dispassionately before sliding it slowly, ritualistically into its black as midnight sheath.

"Telepathic?" Rain asked, hiding her surprise. She had heard of such abilities but they were only rumoured as myths. No one could ever prove them.

"In a manner of speaking," Vergil said as if he himself wasn't sure, like he didn't believe it would work. "It is more an exchange of a feeling rather than words," he paused before he said it, thinking how to best explain. Dante and he had not exchanged any such feelings for an eternity, although in the old days they had used to call it a twin's intuition, something like a sixth sense.

Rain stared up at him for a moment unsure if she understood. Then she looked away from him, thinking it was time to get out of the place, when he started to head in the opposite direction from where they had come from, to the top of the wide corridor.

She quickly followed him, getting the creeps from this place, leaving her sword ready in her hands just in case. The further up she moved the more prominent was the lovely aroma of chocolate, somewhat immensely noticeable now that there were no demons, completely free from the smell of blood seeded in the warehouse below.

Rain watched Vergil as he walked closer to one of the conveyor belts, strolling alongside it thoughtfully, his eyes like those of a hunting hawk, inspecting every little detail until he paused, picking up a very delicious looking truffle to his nose. He took in the divine scent with obvious enjoyment before sliding the small piece of heaven into his mouth, biting a half off to taste it delicately with his tongue. Hell hath no such luxuries, he thought, eyes closing in delight.

Rain opened her mouth, not that she got a sudden urge to do the same, well she certainly did, but how could he do this after slaughtering all those people? Had he no shame or conscience at all?

She placed her hands on her hips, one still holding her sword drenched in their blood, entering back into a battle, one that she wasn't sure she could win but was determined as hell to try. "It doesn't bother you at all? You know that those poor people made the chocolates you are now enjoying?"

"And they will thank me one day in Hell for freeing them today." He gave her an uncaring look before picking up another chocolate, one filled with rum.

"No doubt you will be back one day yourself," Rain couldn't help but remark, biting her tongue yet he simply looked up as he sunk his perfect teeth into the alcoholic truffle as if trying to decide whether he liked it or not.

"Sooner than you think." He suddenly turned to her, his deep and blue eyes unflinching, like he was telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth, and not only that, he was actually happy about it.

Rain was lost for words. She didn't get him at all. Normally men were so one sided and easy to guess, not that she had known that many, but he could give her a headache on a day she would normally consider great. "With your abundant compassion and care I do not understand why you even bothered to save me. Why didn't you leave me to become one of them and then skewer me for desert?"

His snow-white eyebrow shot up gracefully, then lowered again. "Nice offer, but no thank you. You are _not_ one of them," he answered distractedly, paying more attention to already choosing another chocolaty treasure to try.

"So you no longer believe I had planned this all; deceiving Dante into coming with me to get you out of that place for some evil purpose and then getting myself killed a day later?" She said all that while he appeared to be in such a good chatty mood, perhaps the delicate chocolate being the instigator of this unusual change.

"No," he said unequivocally.

"Good." Rain didn't know whether to be happy, somehow feeling like she needed that in writing.

Why was it she didn't know where she stood with him every passing minute? She had almost felt normal warmth and caring of a human male when he had held her against him as if truly afraid she would die and now the cold would run through him once again. Did he possibly like her but was too proud to admit so? No, that was impossible.

Why would he suddenly warm up to her so much after nearly killing her with every single glare he had sent her way, and then murdering her nearly for real at lunch the other day? There had to be something else. Most likely that her deeds were repaid now and he had nothing more to say.

"Then you won't mind if I go home now?" Rain asked, suddenly tired of second guessing his intentions, and of killing people turned into demons. It was time to do some more useful work for a change and try to help and avert an all-out doom of humanity.

Vergil stopped at that and looked at her questioningly, as if she had something better to do than eating chocolates after massacring those who had made them. He stuffed the last one into his mouth and without a further word made for the underground entrance they had used to come in. The sweet, smooth as butter chocolate just gained a bitter aftertaste in his mouth with his latest thoughts.

The psychotic loser, and an irritating bloodstain on his boot soon to be, Kuro, who singlehandedly had caused all this suffering and pain, and who had nearly caused the death of his salvation, has just moved to a priority number one on his very short hit list.

_**A/N:**__ Thank you all for saying you still prefer the old characters. That gives me confidence to keep writing. Also many thanks to any anonymous reviewers. I mention it here as I cannot respond directly to you. There was one question from fel95 and it was spot on really. I am trying to show Vergil more demonic, i.e. using his powers more so than Dante who prefers to stick to the human habits which Vergil finds rather irritating at times. So well done for the great observation. Hope you all forgive me for the slight lateness in posting this time around! _


	10. The Bitter Kind

**CH10 – The Bitter Kind**

The place had been so real and dreamy with the divine smells of freshly made chocolates, yet turned too easily into a whisper of death and untoward cruelty. The atrocity of what had been done was not leaving her mind even as the cold afternoon air burst into her lungs as soon as Rain ran out of the underground gate. She felt refreshed outside, even as the wind swept in the polluted dust of the city again, but the darkness she had left behind was already grabbing at the soles of her conscience, trying its best to drag her into the depths of an unjustified guilt.

She would not let this empty fault of hers win this time though, pressing her fingernails into the palms of her hands, letting the pain conquer the fears sneaking up on her. She had to take this nagging guilt and throw it back to the depths of hell where it belonged. It was time to fight back in any way she could. And the best way to do so was to go home, not come out until she would calm down, see things in a rational way and then throw this madness back in their faces wrapped up as a bad-ass cure.

Resolve settling in her eyes, Rain turned around to the gate overgrown with ivy to seek out her transport. She saw Vergil walk elegantly yet incredibly fast on his long legs, something not many could achieve, about to reach the exit as well. He had gone behind her this time, checking they were not followed yet not letting her out of his sight as she had felt the whole time. In an attempt to lighten her mood Rain had debated if he had done that to watch her swing her hips in the tightly clinging soft leather but quickly dismissed that idea as insanely absurd given the prevalent cold air he seemed to love to breathe.

He had moved quietly and broodingly, she had noticed, and thought whether it had more to do with having to leave all those delicious treats behind rather than the people they had killed. Funny, she did not take him for the sweet-tooth type at all, more for the bitter kind.

"Take me home please," she asked him swiftly but politely, her lips pressing into a thin line as she was itching to leave. She did not even want to get back to Dante's office and get her car. There was time for that. It was at her current home she needed to be right now, and get to work as soon as possible, and alone.

She watched him stride to the bike that shimmered blood red in the shining orange sun, seating his sword first before seating himself. "On one condition," he said after seemingly giving it a short consideration, looking at her in the mirror with a mysterious glint in his eyes.

Rain could not help but wonder if he'd ask her to bake him a cake as a recompense for dragging him away from the chocolates but quickly shook that idea out of her head. She could cook for the better part, and rather well, but baking had been a stranger to her. She would bake out any medicine or cure for a blood disease of any kind, but cakes were a mystery she had never unravelled. The last she had tried had been to please her mother's wishes and she had ended up frustrated with bits of dough clogging up her sword.

Her face lifted and awaited his condition.

"I can use your phone, should I be so bold as to presume that you have one," he let her know in his dark-velvet voice, shrouded by an aura of something hidden as she found herself unwillingly getting used to. She didn't quite foresee such a simple request, but it sounded harmless enough.

"You can use my phone all you like," she offered with an unconcerned nod, then pondered why he'd need to use her phone if he could easily get back to Dante's after dropping her off. No matter, she'd be alone soon enough, she thought, with time for some soul soothing tai chi before getting intimate with the blood of those unfortunate people.

"Splendid. Then take me to it." He revved up the engine to a soft purr, his reflection waiting for her to mount up.

He observed her a little longer, his eyes sliding to her small, feminine hands as they unclasped from each other and glided hesitantly to his flowing trench, grabbing the sides so lightly that she would have been blown off at a slightest jolt. He had observed this switch in her, from the confident fearlessness when she had fought or even had faced his terrifying demon, to this timid child when she had to jump on a bike or touch him, whichever it was. And it intrigued him somewhat as to why. If she was not afraid of him or the demons, then what of?

With a quick pondering frown Vergil forwent his lecture this time, releasing the clutch slowly as he pulled away with gentle speed, letting her adjust her hold on him gradually and to her own comfort. She deserved a little respite he surmised. After all there was only as much a human could take, and she had proven her worth so far. So he gave her an easy and relaxing ride, noting she left her eyes open this time, her hands though leaving almost a ghostly, hard to feel touch.

He moved his head to the side from time to time as they drove into the city, where she gave him directions, loudly at first over the din of the engine and the howl of the wind, then toning her voice down to a normal speech when she realised he could hear her despite the noise.

It was the second time Rain let her mind secretly wonder and stray her thoughts to the enigma that was driving her home. She had noticed instantly the different way he drove, as if he had been angry with the world on their way to the factory, and now like taking some anti-madness potion, by killing those humans or by licking that heavenly cream from the chocolate, he became almost a gentleman, taking a good care to carry her away from hell to her tranquil home.

It made her ponder what was going to come next? Would he burn and decimate her lovely home only to build her a breathless paradise the day after? Rain shook her head absently and waved her hand ridiculing her own stupid thoughts, feeling him turn instantly in the direction her arm so carelessly flew out. That brought her into focus at once, a small shameful quiver reaching her stomach as she quickly, inconspicuously directed him back on track.

The city centre soon went by with its high-rises and extravagant glass buildings shining almost blindingly on a sunny day, passing their exploding radiance from window to window as they moved along the way. It had always made her sick to the bone to even imagine living there, in a private-less artificial space, stacked up like bricks in a wall yet twice as expensive as any good sized villa in her quiet, private neighbourhood. She had bought the only available house with cash which had left no trace, quickly and discretely from an owner desperate to leave, as to why she hadn't asked or cared.

She could more than afford to live in the over the top, super-rich central district but the third, offering white-washed houses nestled in lush grounds, had been by far the closest to her taste and heart. Tucked well away behind the second circle of the city that was notorious to be full of nosy, ambitious assholes wanting to back-stab their way into the first circle, the third district was known for its discreetness, tranquillity and peace, just what Rain had always wished for and what she had been finding ever harder to find.

Finally seeing the seemingly endless, sculpted gardens unfold in front of her excited eyes, the vibrant green matching the pigment of her pupils even this late in the year, she let out a small relieved sigh. Her hand gestured for him to turn into a secluded gravelled path, dotted with low, old-fashioned lamps hanging from black hooks on both sides, now sleeping quietly in the dappled sunlight.

As they passed the last set of unlit lanterns, the narrow driveway was swept to the side like a giant snake and then expanded out into a wide opened space behind a closed sculpted gate, guarding a beguiling sight.

An imposing, gorgeous villa stood amidst lush, manicured gardens, its walls white as snow against the dark greens of the grounds, pillars from Roman times standing guard with white-bordered ivy and wild climbing flowers reaching for the flats of its rounded roof. Crooked long branches of ancient pines embraced the sides with their long fingers, their shadows scraping gently against the walls in the slightest breaths of wind.

The sound of water cascading down rushed to Vergil's ears as soon as he switched off the engine, and he saw a three level fountain held by naked angels, the songs of birds complimenting its pleasing flow. He rested his eyes on this blindingly white jewel hidden within a city of sin and darkness, hiding the unexpected throb of pain at the lost life he could have had.

Rain jumped of the seat and took a few steps forward to key in her code, and then turned back to Vergil who was still gazing somewhere past the gentle swirls of the metal flowers blooming plentifully all over the gate.

"Thank you for the ride. And please tell Dante I will pick up my car sometime tomorrow, or the day after," Rain said gratefully, itching now to go inside and plunge into her little hideaway.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" He called out suddenly, when she was already facing away from him, half way through the gate.

Rain turned around slowly, gazing at him blankly at first, until she remembered his condition to dropping her off at her home. _Dammit._ It had seemed so trivial back there, but now she wished she had walked home instead.

"Yes, of course. Come on inside," Rain invited him to go through the gate as she held it open, a small pleasant smile covering the disappointment she felt inside.

Oblivious to her inner disconcert, being estranged from anyone harbouring any human feelings for so long, Vergil wheeled in the bike confidently, preoccupied even more with his plans. He began to grow impatient now that he had set his eyes on the things he had once had in the human world and had forgotten about in the destitute plains of Hell.

His own villa, strangely in the same circle of the city as hers yet on the opposite side, the somewhat darker side across the tall high-rises, was waiting for a long awaited revival. His was dark grey not white but that suited him just fine. He could not help but wonder whether it was still as magnificent as it had once been, only able so vaguely to recall.

"This way, I'll show you to the phone." Her voice made him tear his mind from trying to paint an image of his own home to her presence at the white wooden door, now opened for him to finally move on with his plans.

Yet how would he reclaim everything he owned and get back to his best shape if he had to watch over her at the same time? Would she go with him if he was to ask? Perhaps he would need to be a little more…what was the right word…_pleasing or pleasant_? No, _marginally friendly_ was better suited as anything more made him shudder just to think about. And he couldn't be pleasing if he tried. He was not back from Hell and many times from the dead to be pleasing anyone. He had been sent back for quite a different reason; to hunt down those responsible for the vilest of deeds perpetrated against him and his blood, he was certain.

However, a little friendliness was a small price to pay, he convinced himself as he approached the house, wondering how to accomplish such a feat after fate had taught him to deal nothing but icy hostility or a reserved wariness. Not even contemplating pleasant, was he capable of being marginally _friendly_?

When he entered the house though, his grim eyes warmed up almost instantly as they feasted on the clean ivory marble floors and two grand staircases of matching colour jutting up and winding like a pair of ivory wings to meet atop, a lustrous round chandelier of gold suspended in the middle. Ornate mahogany antique pieces and great vases stood like ancient guards against empty wall spaces, staying well away from a pair of huge Siberian tigers with fierce orange eyes smouldering on white marble faces.

Vergil found himself standing in silence, staring at the dazzling shine that almost blinded him. The large sash windows were letting in much of the sunlight and he had been used to the dark for far too long. Letting his eyes adjust with a few blinks, he noted the absence of any personal possessions or pictures, the paintings hanging the walls were collector's items that looked like they had been there for a very long time.

"You bought this place with everything," he more stated than asked, with an inkling of a surprise. Getting something like this would have been extremely lucky and tragically expensive, given that the art and furniture itself could be nearly priceless.

Somehow Rain wasn't surprised that he had noticed. "I was lucky. With moving around so much I don't have the time to gather anything of my own apart from a few essentials," Rain told him as she paused with her eyes set on his deeply searching face, for a flicker of time melancholy, taking in all the detail appreciatively.

"The phone is through that door, in the library. If you don't mind I will go and shower while you make your call." She gave him a bit more time to draw his attention then gestured with her hand to one door on the west wall, guarded by one of the tigers. She then walked to a door on the opposite side across the great hall, where the second tiger watched over the eastern wing of the grand villa.

Still standing there for a while, Vergil lifted one eyebrow as he retraced to a word she had mentioned. _Library_. In that instant his leather boots resounded over the polished marble with a squeak as he turned and strode hard to the said door. He had not set his sights on a book ever since the day of his fall to the demon world. Demons never acquired the habit to read as there was nothing to be read since they had no books, and ignorance was highly sought after by the mighty. Whatever someone knew that was worth knowing was told to a very few for personal gain and was never shared with the fodder for the fear of the rivals.

He opened the door eagerly and his eyes flew lustily over the extensive room, satisfyingly stuffed with books of all sorts and ages from floor to ceiling. His hand reached out to a row of ancient looking books, wanting to touch and feel the texture of the hard leather bindings, completely dust free, yet he hesitated. He better make his call while Rain was on the other side of the house.

His eyes snapped to the side to where he saw the phone with an old dial, strangely suited for the feel of the room, he thought with an upward curl of his lip. It reminded him of his own house as it had been years past. Slowly, he turned the numbers surprised he remembered them so easily and waited for the ring on the other side.

After a while someone answered, a high pitched, wheezy voice, seeming laborious with age. "Hmm? Who is it?"

There was a short pause, a low crackling sound escaping the receiver as though someone was breathing.

"Grandmaster Yen," Vergil let out the words, feeling as if they had waited forever to unpeel from his tongue.

Another pause followed. "V-ver…gil?" The voice grew excited, incredulous, and emotional. "It is you," came after a while, the old man nearly choking on his words, and Vergil could feel tears welling up in the grandmaster's eyes. He had always been way too sentimental, the old fool, Vergil thought yet he couldn't shake off the stabbing in his own heart.

"How did you…?"

"All in good time, grandmaster. It is best if you visit me later. Now, I need you to reinstate everything," Vergil said with softness in his voice he had not used as long as he could remember. He had always had a soft spot and upmost respect for his old teacher Robert Yen and he was the only one allowed to witness Vergil's lighter side.

"Yes, yes, indeed. You tell me about it later. You will have it all back by tomorrow," the old man said avidly, his voice suddenly sounding a lot healthier. "And Vergil?" He spoke hesitantly, knowing their conversation was about to end. "Good to hear you still walk amongst the living."

"And you." Vergil slowly hung up.

He still held on to the receiver, looking at the phone. He had missed that aging man more than he had thought. He was humble and full of wisdom, his teachings echoing through his mind. He might have ended up differently should he have listened to his master, and hearing that voice again had stirred a semblance of regret deep within his soul.

Vergil glanced around, looking for something to occupy his mind, anything to distract him from arriving at the conclusion that he might have been very foolish in the past. Thinking too much about what might have been would do him no good in choosing what to do next. His mind was set and nothing could dissuade him.

His eyes landed on the books. He was in a room full of distraction yet he let himself to be distracted to see it. Vergil strolled to the section of ancient volumes he had noticed earlier. He ran a fingertip across the top of the thick bindings until he stopped on a thin, unlabelled volume wrapped in a soft leather binding and secured with a roughened leather strap. He pulled it out and unfastened it, a thrill racing through him as though he had uncovered an ancient secret.

_The Clan of Kamura_

He read the title of the book, written by a sharp and confident hand in a superbly sculpted old fashioned style. The same style continued throughout, telling a story of an ancient clan of cruel, merciless warriors, swearing to fight evil and to protect their ways, in secrecy from the outside world. Their very first ancestor had been nearly killed by a brutal demon-lord but had survived, able to find a new kind of evil and fight back even harder. No one had known that demons existed then, so the ancestor kept his secrets and knowledge within the closest family; the family of the Clan of Kamura…

"What are you doing?" An anxious voice interrupted his reading.

Blue eyes drifted to the side to find her face. She was all clean and her skin soft, flushed with pink from hot water, or was it from what she saw him reading? Her hand was barely visibly shaking, but he saw. He would have considered it a great honour to be in some way associated with an ancient and powerful clan such as that but her calm he had come to admire was deteriorating by the minute.

"Should you allow me into a room full of temptation, don't question my indulgence," he said silkily as he turned to her fully, the book open in his hand.

"Would you put that back please?" Rain demanded, gesturing back to the bookcase impatiently. How could he pick this one, the least visible and the smallest out of the hundreds on all the shelves? She couldn't believe, whether his ability to get under her skin or her carelessness in hiding the book, she didn't know.

"So, you are from the clan of Kamura, the honourable and the merciless…" He meant it as a compliment.

"That is none of your business," Rain interrupted him sharply, her face close to turning a darker shade of pink. She knew that reacting like this only made things worse, and she felt abashed. Her hands slid to the back of her to wipe at her trousers.

"I have heard tales of such a clan. It is said that none walk amongst the living now. Eight years ago to be exact, they all vanished into thin air," he persisted, ignoring her words and distress.

"Well, I am no ghost, am I? So maybe you are mistaken." Rain gave him a short shrug, not anything else this time hoping it would make him disinterested. No such luck.

"Not a ghost, perhaps an only survivor." His eyes locked with hers, unblinking as though frozen in time, searching for what had happened eight years ago as if he could read it from her soul. Such origins would help to explain her current misfortunes and the reason for that dreadful prophecy, he thought. The Kamura had been known as fearless and fierce, and although they were not rumoured to possess any special powers, their superior fighting skills and meddling with deadly bio-weaponry had been more than enough to threaten the entire demon world.

Was the girl meant to cause the queen's demise by some biological means? He had experienced himself what her family's _powers_ in that field could do, yet how could she even get within a few feet of the queen without being killed? That was impossible. And there was another thing. If she was a Kamura, how was it that she was alive?

She blinked, his shameless daring lending her a sudden strong need to fight back. "You don't know anything! How could you, there is not a single human soul that knew about the clan of Kamura," Rain said, anxiety jumping back into her voice, her chest heaving.

"My point exactly." She saw the shadow of a devious smile crop up on his face. He had her and she realised it. If no human could know, then how did _she know_? And he was only half human. "Perhaps you are also forgetting that I am very much a demon, and demons have a very good memory and understanding of human clans taking it upon themselves to destroy them."

"Weren't you supposed to make your call and go?" There was a certain bite to her tone, and she did not really recognise her own behaviour. It must have been desperation.

"Was I? Then forgive me but I feasted my eyes on knowledge and now I am unable to let go. Would you be so cruel as to deny a starving man his much needed food?" He said wistfully in such an awkward way, Rain wasn't sure whether he was mocking her or being serious.

Rain was torn. She could not wait to be alone but she knew it would be hard to get rid of him without wanting to kill him or kill herself if she faced his wits any longer. How did he get to know so much anyway? She had to get away from him, if only for a while, and it was easy to get lost enough in her big house to feel alone even if she wasn't.

"All right. You can stay here while I go to my lab and do some research. Then you leave." She quickly snatched the small volume from his hand and left him standing behind as she walked out of the library.

Rain found her heart pounding even more as she went across the big oval hallway, leaving through one of the doors to her left, then pressing a lever on her right. She descended a narrow spiral staircase to her lab. With trembling hands she stashed the manuscript under a handful of other paperwork and slumped down in her round office chair.

She took a deep breath. There was nothing else to worry about in the house, at least she hoped, but the damage was nearly done. How did he assume, no, _know_ so fast that she was a Kamura? Rain cursed at her imprudence in leaving that book in plain sight, thinking it had been hidden. But then when was it last she had visitors? Any visitors, not to mention such observant and meddling ones? Never? Sighing with a shake of her head, Rain let out the air she was holding in her lungs and pulled out the vial of blood that was slotted safely in her belt. Perhaps this would take her mind away from that haunted book she did not have the heart to get rid of.

Rain looked at the small round vial as she held it between two fingers, the scarlet liquid gleaming evilly in the strong light of her desk lamp. She had chosen this room for her work as it had no windows, no outside wondering eyes and an easy to conceal entrance should there be a need to hide whatever she happened to work on.

Although she had never thought she would have to actually hide, now the reasons for her carefully selected room were ever so closer to being justified. As she gazed closely at the blood swirling in the small vial, it seemed as if two completely different blood types circled each other, one darker and one lighter, un-mixing like they were each other's enemies.

Her eyebrows drawing together at the unusual happening, Rain quickly put the small tube into the centrifuge and separated the two bloods, then tested each for anything foreign, not that it was easy to do. With a sweat on her forehead she was finally done, at least a few hours later, and she knew that she could develop a cure for the infected humans at the factory, that is, should that ever happen again which was increasingly likely as naïve she was not.

The other sample however, she had not seen the likes of before. There was a poison there of some kind, almost symbiotic with every single cell yet lying dormant, concealed well to anyone who wasn't looking hard. She could only guess whose blood this was as she stared at it for what seemed like another few hours, rocking the tube in her hand thoughtfully, yet she already confirmed the answer in the back of her mind. It was _his_.

To confirm it, Rain put down the tube and then took off her black leather jacket that still bore a hole right above her right shoulder blade. Any blood there would have been either hers, or his, since she had been pressed to him so tightly no other blood could have seeped through.

After testing the red stain, she compared the samples and confirmed her suspicions. It was his blood all right. And it was as if the poison or whatever it was had been poised there, waiting to strike against his own cells…but what was the trigger? Why was it lying in wait and for what purpose? Have they done this to him in the prison in case he would escape? But then why hadn't it triggered yet?

There was more shrouded aura to him than she would have liked. And what was worse, it all seemed to be somehow connected to her, and to why she was being attacked. He was hiding something, she was certain. Was he sent to kill her, to gain her trust? By the same man who had imprisoned him and nearly killed him, or was that all a fake? They have been trying for three years and failed. And now that she met Dante, had they thought to lure her into a trap using his own brother? But then he could have killer her many times over already, so why protect her in the factory?

She chewed on her lips. Then good that he had been so eager to stay which in itself seemed a bit strange. It was time to make him eager even more, Rain thought with an uneasy smile creeping to her face. She could lure him too and make him talk.

She slotted both samples of blood into the device plugged into her computer and typed in the commands. It might take a whole night to get the recipes for a cure and so she had a whole evening to indulge Vergil in a lot of temptation. He might have appeared all tough and cold on the surface, but throw a little woman's touch into the hard male equation and he was sure to sing a song she wanted.

Right?

Not entirely convinced about her own plan that she had never tested nor practiced, Rain started to ascend the staircase. She was much more comfortable alone, and now she wanted to fool a man who did not seem the type to be fooled while she herself was not the type to be fooling. Yes, that was a great plan.

Then again, would she rather stay alone for the rest of her life or end this fighting once and for all? Knowing now that the latter would win every single time, Rain diverted to the kitchen to grab something before gliding back across the hallway to the library door. She quickly tidied her long golden hair, stirred to do so by some unknown instinct, before entering.

Vergil was seated in a wide and plump leather chair, a large and old book opened atop his sheathed sword that rested over his lap. He did not flinch or move a muscle when she entered, yet she knew he was aware of her every move, his nerves seemingly trained way too well not to let it show. She had to admit, even she had not been so vigilant all the time and she was the one getting attacked. It was strangely disturbing and comforting at the same time to have this relentless, wary bloodhound present in her house. If she only knew why he was _really_ here…

"Have you come to throw me out?" His eyes did not lift from the book he was reading.

"Nothing of the sort," Rain said cheerfully, holding the box behind her back. "In fact, I came to realise that I have a rare opportunity to welcome a _demon_ into my house," Rain smiled at her own attempt at a joke, flashing forth what she was hiding.

"Which ones are your favourite?" She quickly asked.

"The ones I can kill the hardest," he said in a voice smooth as velvet, turning the page as he kept reading, what, Rain couldn't tell.

"The chocolates. I meant the chocolates." Rain laughed a bit, giving the box of truffles she was holding out a quick shake to grab his attention.

His eyes finally slid from the ancient text and slinked to the chocolates and then to her, where they paused for a while as if expecting some kind of a trap.

"OK, then let _me_ guess. The bitter kind?" Rain couldn't help but throw in a little innuendo, finding this 'luring' thing a bit easier than she had expected. Maybe it was because he wasn't asking awkward questions, she didn't know. Then again she strayed a little from her taught politeness, but with him, teasing seemed to come to her a lot easier.

The look he sent her at her jibe was completely new, something she had not seen on him before. It was a devious smirk, but almost childish or playful, as if he was actually normal and human in that very instant.

"On a contrary. The sweeter must balance out the bitter," he said and picked a chocolate coated in sugar, all creamy and buttery inside. He threw it in his mouth all the while piercing her with his crystal clear eyes that hazed over in ecstasy to make a point.

Rain quickly sat down on a chair next to him as her knees were threatening to buckle, and once firmly seated she forced herself to take an advantage of the opening he had unknowingly provided.

"Then judging from the amounts you have eaten recently, you must hold a lot of bitterness inside you. Was it the demons in the factory or what you've been through before then?" Rain jumped right in, suddenly feeling a lot lighter. She needed to know about what had happened in that dreaded castle if she was to be sure he wasn't a spy. Only she had a feeling it would take a lot more then sweetness to get the truth out of him.

"The demons today?" A doubtful look crossed his face. "They were nothing but a fodder, not even one single mouthful worth," he said in a slightly offended manner. Then he reached for another truffle, but Rain moved the box away from his hand, miffed at him for managing to avoid the subject she was aiming for, or more at herself for asking the question all wrong. And what did he mean they were nothing?

"But they were all infected with your blood… Do you know what this means?" She insisted, her voice gaining urgent need of his acknowledgment.

"Yes. The whole city will be deprived of chocolate for a while. Tragic." He reached further than she thought he could, as if his hand grew suddenly longer, and snatched another treat from the box.

Irked at his shameless impudence, Rain showered him with her best scowl that barely showed any wrinkles on her forehead, rather making her eyes look like a green storm of sparks. "How can you joke about something like this?"

"I wasn't joking," he told her ever so casually, munching of the truffle as he turned back to that wretched book like the conversation was over.

As if he felt the shock he had left her in, her voice being stuck in her throat by anger that she did not know what to do with, he stopped reading and turned his head back to her.

"Contrary to what you are thinking, I do have a conscience," Vergil consoled her, somewhat, more softly. _When it suits me_, he added inwardly.

She stared. "I was starting to wonder," Rain said finally, in a small voice, absently stuffing a chocolate into her mouth. Maybe she should leave him to his reading, she thought, before he drove her completely mad.

"If you'd like to know what happened in the castle, why don't you just ask?" He gave her such an unexpectedly disarming little smile that she felt a very strong urge to throw the chocolates in his ridiculously obnoxious, and even more ridiculously handsome face.

But then his words echoed through her head and she couldn't believe what he had offered. Swiftly pulling all her wits back together like sweeping the mess she had made so far with a massive broom, Rain straightened up in her chair and looked him square into those disturbingly deep blue orbs of his.

"Then I ask." She said firmly.

His gaze lingered on her longer than she thought she could bear, falling many a shade darker, from the colour of a calm arctic sea filled with fresh iceberg-ice shimmering in the sun to a choppy grey ocean battered by a storm.

All the while she had been pinned to her chair, daring not to flinch when he said "Good" and turned away.

Disappointed and resentful, Rain was about to leave when he finally spoke. To her surprise he told her of his gruesome story as if reciting from the book he was still holding, his voice never wavering or showing any emotion, and she listened eagerly. Only his eyes, they changed as he went on, the storm gaining a threatening hue whenever he had talked about one person in particular. And then as suddenly as he had begun it was over, leaving her rooted to the seat, fingers digging hard into the leather.

"Do you know of a man dressed all in black, going by the name of Kuro?" He asked as disdain flashed yet again across his face, but her mind was still somewhere in the dark of the cell, two blue lights glowing dimmer and dimmer as they searched for a way out to no end.

"Is that why your eyes glow so? From so long in the pitch dark?" She managed to ask grimly, his story ringing too loud in her ears, too close to her own horrid dreams.

"_He_ is the one after you." His voice was suddenly hard and loud and he tore her from the blackness of a cave clouding her mind, leaning toward her as he put away the heavy book.

"Wha.. What?" Rain wanted to slap herself hard, still floating in and out of her nightmare. He was giving her gold, what she wanted and needed, and all she could do was burble like a fool. _Pull yourself together Rain_, she shouted inside her mind.

"Are you sure? I don't know who he is. I have only seen him once from afar. I have never heard of anyone called Kuro," Rain managed to say as if her mind came to her again, everything suddenly a lot clearer. It was then that she realised his hand was touching hers, not to creep past and steal another chocolate but to stop right on her skin which surprisingly felt terribly good. On the other hand, he had yet again confused her to no end with this strange friendliness on this whole new level, and she now felt the need to visit the very big bar in the house that she had thus far avoided like the plague.

"Splendid. Then the more I will look forward to knocking it out of him. And I'd dare to presume you don't know where he obtained the poison of your family either?" He pulled his hand from hers and stole another truffle as he did so, chucking it into his mouth so hard Rain thought he'd choke on it.

"No," she said briefly, truthfully, staring again which she had been taught as rude unless she was running someone through with her sword, and not just in mind. _Why does he have to keep bringing up the poison?_

"Unless there is another who is no ghost either." His face showed a triumphant darksome gleam like he knew something she didn't and was only testing her, seeing how she would react.

"What do you mean?" Rain asked bewildered, now truly lost.

"It was said that no one has survived and yet here you are. How about you tell me _your_ story?" And there it was all coming back, instead of her having him he was having her, and she felt so…cornered again.

Rain felt dizzy. How could she make him stop asking? Did she not say enough? She had admitted all about the bloody poison already. Had he told her his story only to get more from her in exchange? And was his story even true?

He was smart, she gave him that. Cunning even, while somehow knowing that she would have to tell him something in return and that she wouldn't lie. He would know if she did just as he knew she wouldn't. Just who was fooling whom here? She sure wasn't doing a great job, and she really needed that drink right about now if it really did what her father had been warning her about.

"Apart from the demons, no one knew we even existed. And I knew that everyone else was dead because… Because I saw them all die! Every single one. End of story. Happy now?" There she said it. She close to shouted and bolted from her seat, the box of chocolates spilling from her lap, but she said it. She didn't even notice that he rescued the truffles with a swift sweep of his hand as she started to dart away from the room, all at once finding it hard to breathe.

She stumbled into the great hall and couldn't tell which door led to the lounge through the haze falling over her eyes, disbelieving how he could have found it so easy to tell her of his horrors when she couldn't even think about them without wanting to retch and cry. Was she really that soft on the inside or he so hard? Or was she simply a human when he was just a devil? Then why was it that all it took was a small touch of his hand and she had felt so much better?

All the doors seemed as one and twice as many at the same time. She grabbed for a handle of the nearest door to get as far from him as she could. It happened to be the right one to her relief and the living room soon appeared before her with its calming colours of leafy greens and earthy browns, the last sun's low rays streaming in through the tall windows to make the wooden floor look like liquid gold.

Rain stopped her feet on a small plush rug of cream and white, looking at the bar. She knew deep down that this was a bad idea but somehow she didn't really care. If she was to get drunk then when better than now, when he was there, protecting her from her foes as it seemed, if any happened to come right now, all the while attacking her on levels much deeper than any of the savage demons?

_Hypocrite. You attacked him too with your questions._ A small voice inside her head told her.

_I know. And that's why…_ "I need that drink," Rain said out loud, finally seeing the row after row of very old labels sitting behind a mahogany carved bar, small heads of two dragons jutting out on each end. She reached for the first bottle that caught her eye, a nice forest green one with a pretty auburn-gold liquid inside and quickly plucked out a crystal clear glass from under the counter. She may not have come to the bar to drink, as she had never drunk, but she liked to keep everything sparkling clean.

"If I offended you in some way, then I do apologise," he said solemnly, appearing at the door. Funny thing was that his voice was not in the least mocking or contemptuous, it was surprisingly regretful and sympathetic. Quite a long way from that wrathful, murderous stare she had seen on him the very first morning he had woken up, and ironically, only now after he had told her his story she was able to finally understand it.

Without a word, Rain brought up another glass and filled them both to the rim with the velvety brown secret inside she had seen up close for the first time. It smelled terribly to her, the strong aroma catching up with her wrinkling nose, nearly causing her to sneeze and cough at the same time, but she clenched her teeth, taking both glasses to a small round coffee table by a large, iron fireplace.

Her unspoken invitation was duly noted and two heavily booted feet crossed without a sound to the table, finding a space on a dark brown suede sofa large enough for four. Silence fell around them and the scent of the alcohol coiled slowly in the air. After a while, Rain didn't mind the smell so much anymore and raised her glass.

"To the sweet balancing out the bitter," she said as a toast, and then dipped the bronze liquid into her throat.

It didn't take a few long swallows however and she began to cough, her stomach wanting to rise as blood boiled down her veins and flooded her cheeks with fierce red.

"I don't know…what this is…but I think…it's been here too long and… it's spoilt," she observed with a sour face while still choking, gesturing with her hand that he shouldn't drink it. Instead of taking her word for it however he did something she didn't expect at all.

He threw back his head and started to produce a deep, velvety laugh.

Rain stared at him, for like the umpteenth time that same afternoon, wanting to be upset but she couldn't as all she could feel was the alcohol singing her stomach and bounding her legs in heavy irons, her last senses evaporating with the amazingly smooth as chocolate sound that he was making and her lips curled up into a smile at first, until she too burst out laughing.

When all the merriment finally died down, slowly and satisfyingly, Rain looked at him abashed and shook her head. "It's not spoilt, is it? It's just pure damn vile. And this is how it's _supposed_ to be?" She asked amazed.

"Cognac," he said softly as if it were a fond word, his nose drawing in the sharp as a razor aroma with a long inhale as though he was taking in the scents of a sun-kissed garden of roses. "The stronger balances out the bitter," he added as he looked at her, the glass lifted and slowly tilting until it obscured the bottom of his face, leaving only his sharp blue eyes for her to see.

"I thought the sweet did that," Rain blurted out argumentatively, watching the stinking honey-coloured potion disappear into his mouth.

"There are many ways," he said in that deep voice of his, eyes as blue as glacial ice sending her a searing look over the glass.

Rain thought to flinch but managed not to. His look may have not really been scorching hot, she reflected, it must have been the alcohol she drunk making it look so. Then she remembered his hand on hers in the library and suddenly her mind strayed to her lonely existence that she knew deep down she loathed. She was a young woman after all, and had her needs, whether she would admit it or not.

"Damn, I have been living in a cave." Rain knew that it was somewhat the truth, especially in her nightmares, but also during the day at times when she forgot to live and notice things apart from the occasional beauty of nature that she had grown up with and was a part of her always. But now her legs felt heavy with searing tingling all over, and the most unnerving and beguiling eyes she had ever seen were gazing at her as if trying to strip her bare. He made her shiver.

"Not all is lost still. You seem to know what chocolate is," he teased, or at least that's how she saw it since her eyes started to glaze over from that dreadful drink. The worst part was that it tasted much better now and even the smell seemed closer to roses. She wanted to resist. If she was to really start living, knowing there were men about who could take care of themselves no matter what, it should be slowly and responsibly, not all at once and exceedingly recklessly. _For sh…sure_, Rain hiccupped.

"Yes, and probably the only _nice thing_ I know," she said bitterly, twisting her mouth. She meant the food, telling herself that she would have to explore in that area too and enjoy food a bit more. Her hands shot to her naked arms absently, fending off the chill that crept over her skin even though she felt quite hot on the inside. The evening already drew close and she would have normally lit the fire by now.

"Then I should feel offended," Vergil said with a hint of the offence he spoke of, though his face gave away nothing as he put down the glass.

Rain thought on what he had said. "Oh, so you think _you_ should count as being nice?" She gaped at him incredulously, smiling. When was he nice exactly, she thought, in between sharpening his blade and his tongue? Or somewhere right there whilst slaughtering humans or dying in a prison cell? _Or…when he held me against him so I would not turn into a zombie and die?_ She took another swallow from her glass.

"I have a feeling you are in a need of a proof. How about I'll take care of Kuro for you and right at this moment I shall take care of you." He shot up from his seat so suddenly and moved smoothly toward her, that Rain's heart beat like a drum and her eyes expanded wide. She did not want it to happen so fast but would not have protested if it did. Yet his coat barely brushed past her knee and he knelt by the fireplace.

Rain felt abashed, red flaring back to her cheeks. There she wanted to be all sensible and responsible and yet she let her mind conjure a visage of him scooping her up into his arms and taking an advantage of her in some very sinful ways. She prayed it must have been the drink doing the conjuring, making her pragmatic side to step aside, causing her female desires to come out of a forgotten hiding…and lift her hand to take another sip of that trouble making evil. Strangely, it now tasted like honey spiced up with addiction, damn this devil's drink.

She also almost missed what he had said first and it all suddenly hit her mind as reason still lingered there somewhere. _I'll take care of Kuro for you._ His words echoed through her head. Once, twice. No matter how hard she tried she didn't know that name. In the old language of her family it meant _black_, and Vergil had said the man wore black. Her family however had worn boiled and studded leather of dark brown with red markings, covered with grey furs in the deep chills of winter.

If this Kuro made the new poison, then she had been right that they wanted her dead for her knowledge and skills, yet how would _anyone_ know her to know this? She had been but a ghost for the past eight years and everyone she had known had been long dead. Also why start hunting her three years ago when they began to experiment with this horrid plague only now? Or did they?

Her head was spinning and she could not tell if it was the alcohol or the tangled web she had tried to unravel in vain. Rain almost wished she could find out more about this man before Vergil would kill him. One thing was certain however, that this drink was making her feel conveniently a lot more…sociable, just when she had so many questions to ask.

Rain turned to Vergil, seeing him make a fire in the fireplace like he had done it a thousand of times. The flames soon crackled from the dry wood she had kept there prepared, the pleasant heat already brushing gently against her goose-bumped skin. Even if he hadn't taken her into his arms, this kind of being taken care of she liked, having someone capable and dauntless to do things for her for a change. She could slip into an ease without a worry of anyone being killed, even get drunk if she wasn't already.

She must not lose her guards completely however, no matter how much at ease he'd make her or the alcohol. She could not afford to, not when she was so close to ending her troubles, not when she did not really know _him_ all that well and it could all end up so badly.

"Have you found any success in your research?" He asked of a sudden and drew her back from her thoughts.

She rubbed her arms to spread the warmth she was feeling. "I will have a cure by the morning," Rain told him with a certain prideful song in her voice. It wasn't hard as it was her bread and butter. She had worked with demon blood all her life. But it was still satisfying nonetheless, especially seeing the smidgeon of surprise on his face.

Rain watched him get up from the fire and take off his coat, the smooth as silk skin on his arms gleaming near the healthy flames. His forearms were now as thick as fists, veins rising like blue streams underneath the skin to make space for taut muscles.

She swallowed, her throat feeling dry despite all the drinking. "So why would this…Kuro, be after me?" Rain propped her chin on the top of her palm, feeling heavier and heavier all the while. She could ask anything right now and somehow knowing the name of her enemy, a name she had not known for long three years, gave her the more eagerness to face it. Still, in case of an unexpected answer, another swallow of cognac found its way into her stomach.

He sat back on the sofa like a light ghost, she barely felt his weight descend. He draped his trench over the backrest and looked into her eyes with a customary intensity.

"You answered your own question right before you asked."

It was a half-truth that should stop her asking questions, Vergil thought. From the long months he had endured in that cell, he knew that someone like Kuro did not blindly serve the queen, only his own perverse and psychotic purpose. That vile demon was too obsessed and self-possessed, unfocused even, to follow anyone's orders and the fact that the obstacle to his own spare-of-the-moment plans was the same as the queen's had been a mere coincidence.

Rain frowned, trying to remember what she had said before she had asked. Ah yes, the research. Then he had just confirmed what she suspected. "Then it will be all over soon, right? If this Kuro infects any more humans before you kill him, I will be able to cure them and then we can all go on our merry way and live our lives?" Rain said more to herself although at the back of her mind she had a feeling that it was never that easy. She had learnt the hard way and there were still some pieces that did not quite fit.

The shadow of a mocking smile she swore appeared on his face, twisted ever more through the glass he held to his hard sculpted lips, confirmed her fears.

"He knows he failed to kill you in the factory and no doubt that you will find a cure. I'd wager he would raise his game and make a few changes the next time he will strike and that is certain to be very soon."

Her face fell at that. Rain knew well what Vergil meant by making a few changes and he was right. Kuro, a cunning scientist just like she was by the sound of it, would modify his poison just enough for her cure to be ineffective, and then she would have to start all over again. And she might not be successful every single time.

"Then you better take care of him soon," she said with a voice dark and suggestive as the shine in his eyes. He leaned forward and gazed at her searchingly, lingeringly, those deep blues of his creating a tension within her as if he was about to ask her to bed him if he was to kill her worst enemy. Only she now deliberated if he'd bother with the asking.

"Do you have any food in this place or have you not even touched the kitchen the same way you have not touched the drinks in your bar?" He enquired in the most casual tone, yet she knew there was sarcasm in his words.

Rain blinked. It took her a little while to realise that there was also a question. She couldn't decide whether to laugh, feel offended or guilty. What kind of a hostess was she not to offer her guest any real food? It had been many long hours since breakfast and she herself felt famished.

"F-o-o-d," he repeated slowly as if in case she didn't know what it meant. "My brother said that food solves everything. I am starting to believe him. You have heard of food? Something other than chocolates would have been nice?"

_Ever so decorous_, Rain thought.

She would have kicked him for that jape but thought better of it as he still seemed very much dangerous to her, with a face that told anyone nothing as if unable to make an expression matching his feelings. She knew beyond a doubt that Dante was also a dangerous man yet he wore a pleasant mask most of the time and if he was going to do something serious then one would know. With Vergil, she didn't know what he would do from one moment to the next.

"Why did that woman try to kill you?" The words slipped from her tongue before she could hold them.

His face darkened and for a second she thought he was hitting her with a massive hammer but instead it was her own head pounding. Who was the decorous one now, she wanted to laugh if her head didn't threaten to explode and spin so.

"How do you know about that?" He asked warily, suspiciously. A good chat with Dante was in order, Vergil thought, not liking his little brother spreading his past around like a fresh butter. Dante was whom she must have heard it from no doubt.

"How do _I_ know?" Rain returned surprised. _Because I was there, _she wanted to say but clearly this conversation would only steer into dangerous waters and so she dropped it, somewhat relieved that in a way he had taken it so well. Maybe it was their mating ritual? Yeah, a_ny more clever questions Rain? _

She stared blankly at his wildcat eyes, at his look that could freeze a man or make a woman scream, at the way he always held onto his sword with a hand that could crush her skull so easily.

And all she could do then was to pass out right there and slump lifelessly into his lap, completely at his mercy.

_A/N: Took me a while to get back but I needed a long break desperately. I wasn't even sure if I'd come back at all to be honest as my little story seemed so very insignificant after reading the Game of Thrones… _


End file.
